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4 












It’s Too Bad We Didn’ 
Know It Before 


BY 

HENRY W. NEWBY 



FIRST EDITION 


Terminal Building 
46 North Twelfth Street 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
1924 













.tH 


Copyright 1924 
by Henry W . Newby 


A n n 


ol 1324 


0 


©C1A778648 

'U'tf j 



INTRODUCTION 


S you go speeding down a nice smooth, new 



macadamized road with your family and 
some friends in your car, enjoying the pleasures 
which make life worth living, you think what 
a great improvement it is on the old roads; how 
much gas, oil, how many breakdowns and punc¬ 
tures are saved the new way, and your car looks 
as if it never had rolled a mile. 

Whereas the old way your car might have to 
be left beside the road, looking as if it will never 
roll another mile. What a difference in the feel¬ 
ing of you, your family and friends. The road 
was built and presented to the public for the 
purpose of making travel better in every way. 

This book is prepared and presented for the 
purpose of preserving and making more pleasure 
in the happy home, in every way for the entire 
family, and every family for all time to come, 
no home should be without it. It is a better way, 
and without it you do not know how soon your 


7 


It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


and the family’s pleasure may be changed into 
misery instead. 

It is also intended to make unhappy homes 
happy, the sick well, even those with chronic 
disease, and they do not need to spend all their 
cash, and perhaps the remainder of their life, with 
the dreadful perplexing question ever before 
them of what is the best thing for me to do now, 
after all methods have failed. This work is to 
make this and other methods succeed. 

It is impossible to write in a way that is best 
pleasing to the taste of all, the young, old, sick 
and well. We all know it is better to prevent, 
then, we will not have to cure. All will agree that 
the one with chronic disease, with the dreadful 
perplexing question before him, is the one that 
first needs relief more than anyone else, so my 
thought mostly is for that purpose, knowing that 
those who are well can see how this is done, 
thereby knowing how to keep themselves well 
without having to go all the way through the 
study of medicine, physiology, psychology, etc. 

The business man can also see the best way to 
have a better and more prosperous business, 
together with preserving his own health, which 
is most essential to the welfare of his family. 


8 





Introduction 


All will see that it is the best and cheapest 
health and prosperity assurance obtainable. 

The business man should not leave so vital a 
question as the family’s health entirely up to the 
wife, expecting her to do all the seeing and know¬ 
ing; neither should the wife expect this of the 
husband. They both should know. The welfare 
of each is vital to the other. 

It is essential that I should call your attention 
to how necessary it is for you to first begin at 
the beginning. Do not read a few words here 
and there, and a page here and there, or glance 
over it from place to place, because it is as neces¬ 
sary to read from beginning to end, to understand 
and reap the benefits contained therein, as it is 
to be on time when you go to the movies or opera. 
If you are late you do not get the beginning of 
the play, you do not understand it; it is not inter¬ 
esting, and is of little benefit to you. Neither 
is it of much benefit to get the beginning and 
fail to get the intermediate or latter part. To 
understand fully you must get the whole. You 
may wade through some pages and condemn them 
as being unnecessary information, but you will 
better understand my intention after reading 
straight through first, then refer to any part you 


9 



It's Too Bad We Didn't Know It Before 


wish. Should it be necessary to read only a few 
pages at a time, returning, begin where you 
ceased or a few paragraphs ahead. 

You are not asked to merely believe the state¬ 
ments of facts contained in this work. Blindly 
believe nothing, but use your reasoning power 
and prove to your own satisfaction the truth or 
error of it by using it. It will last as long as 
you live. 

There may be some who question the truth of 
some article or statements quoted which is 
offered in a sense as proof, but more for illus¬ 
tration. Perhaps the reader is aware of these 
incidents, if not, some other similar ones, which 
will answer the same purpose. The more impor¬ 
tant question is whether the method will or will 
not work. 

After being sick nearly all my life, continually 
under care of doctors and specialists; frequently 
among those heavily laden with misery; having 
tried out or experimented with about all modem 
methods of healing, watching, waiting, studying, 
and gathering all the information I possibly 
could from any and all sources, I have with this 
experience and observation learned something 
about the best methods of healing. 


10 





Introduction 


I believe I am presenting here the best method 
of healing that was ever known for all, especially 
those with chronic ills, so plainly stated they 
cannot very well avoid understanding if they will 
carefully read what is written. 

The application will supply all proof necessary. 

The Author. 


In this work, as far as reasonably known, material, statement 
or words, have not been used without permission, or due credit 
given (as the case may be). However, should there be any used, 
which were heard or read, not recalling by whom, when or where, 
I trust that they may be pardoned for the unwitting infringements. 
Will gladly rectify the mistakes in subsequent editions. 

I wish to extend thanks to those offering their service and sug¬ 
gestions, which have been a great aid in making this book. 

11 





















IT’S TOO BAD WE DIDN’T 
KNOW IT BEFORE 


CHAPTER I 

The Dreadful Perplexing Question 

T HE great and all important question with 
those who have failed in their efforts to get 
relief from various remedies is: “what is the 
best thing for me to do now?” This is the most 
dreadful and perplexing question that ever*, did 
confront the hopelessly sick. 

Perhaps they have tried doctor after doctor 
of different kinds; medicine after medicine with¬ 
out results. Often they are advised by doctors 
to go to some tropical climate, which involves a 
considerable amount bf money, and in many 
cases cannot go at all on account of lack of 
funds. It is often a man will sell out his business 
at a great sacrifice, and move to another part of 
the country in hopes it will benefit his, or some 
member of his family’s, health; and even then be 
greatly disappointed when the patient grows 
worse instead of better. Many have undergone 
operations, sometimes several operations, without 
results. 

To such as these the dreadful, perplexing ques- 


13 


It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


tion of: “what is the best thing for me to do 
now” (since they have all failed) is usually an¬ 
swered by saying: “It is incurable, as everything 
known to medical science has been done.” Usually 
the patient has lost all confidence in anything 
suggested that might help him. He is convinced 
there is no way for him to get well. 

Everyone who happens to converse with him 
feels, indeed, much impressed with sympathy, 
therefore, endeavors to tell him about some cer¬ 
tain doctor, medicine or remedy, which has cured 
or benefited some one whose afflictions are simi¬ 
lar to his. If they do not know of something they 
will think up something. 

The patient appreciates the sympathy, but he 
has heard and read scores of testimonies and, as 
said before, has tried everything known to medi¬ 
cal science; perhaps hypnotism, faith cure, 
Christian Science, or the will-power remedy in¬ 
cluded; and he is still sick. He knows or be¬ 
lieves these many remedies cured, or benefited, 
others but he also believes that his body or 
system is not like theirs, because the treatment 
did not benefit him. He also believes his sym¬ 
pathizers have not had the experience and he 
does not think they know like he does. There¬ 
fore, such advice bores him. He is sick and tired 


14 



The Dreadful Perplexing Question 


of doctors, medicines and remedies of all kinds. 

Rather than be worried with such, he prefers 
to be alone, where he usually entertains the most 
miserable thoughts, such as: “isn’t it awful I 
can’t be well like other people” or “isn’t it too 
bad I can’t support my family; now my family 
will have to support me, as long as I live, and the 
worst of it all is, my presence makes our home 
sad and miserable. Wouldn’t it be so much better 
if I were out of the way, since I am a hindrance, 
instead of a benefit, to my loved ones?” 

Many of those with so-called incurable diseases 
would much rather be dead than to be in their 
miserable predicament. Of course, everyone in¬ 
sists that they should not have such thoughts. But 
they do, more or less, have them anyway, having 
entirely forgotten the idea that the darkest hour 
holds the brightest light; and a man may be 
down, but not always out. Should you try to 
encourage him with such statements, perhaps he 
will fire back with the statement that he, and all 
those around him, would be blessed if he were 
out. 

In order to interest him in any remedy, he 
must know something more than: try this, that 
or the other, simply because it is claimed to have 
cured many others all over the country. It is 


15 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


evident that it must be something different from 
that previously tried, or it must be something 
that can furnish additional proof, which is built 
on rock bottom, unshakable foundation, within 
easy reach, not expensive, and not be necessary 
to struggle for, in order to obtain it; and further, 
it must be something that he can see, does promise 
a cure. 

Even though the patient be down in the very 
depths of despair, with no hope or aim in life, 
it is possible to attract his attention along other 
lines that will bring a smile. It will be difficult 
for him to hold this smile more than a short 
time. It seems that the saddest, most miserable, 
and degenerate thoughts are the very ones which 
he desires or which pleases him best. 

To those that are well and strong, such thoughts 
are foolish. To the so-called incurable, they are 
not foolish, because he has that dreadful, per¬ 
plexing question of: “what is the best thing for 
me to do now,” to decide, and he does not see 
any possible way to decide this question in his 
favor which of course, makes him anxious to 
drift from the smile right back to thoughts of 
despair. It is evident that he thinks he has no 
substantial arguments in his favor, despite the 
fact that he has scores of arguments; more than 


16 




The Dreadful Perplexing Question 


enough to break the strongest shackles of despair. 

No one can be miserable with a good, original 
joke book or a good, humorous record on a talk¬ 
ing machine, or a good, jolly piece of music, the 
type of which he likes. Then, after a pleasant 
state of mind has been established, it will be very 
interesting and beneficial to read of, or recall to 
mind, the wonderful achievements accomplished 
in the last century, few decades, or even the last 
few years, in science and industry. Achievements 
which were at one time considered impossible and 
foolish by the most noted scientists. 

Who would ever thought it possible to grow 
plants against the laws of their very nature, as 
Mr. Burbank did when he grew potatoes on the 
vine, instead of in the ground? And grow the 
cactus plant without its thorns; the stoneless 
prunes, the white blackberry, and many other 
wonders wrought in the vegetable kingdom ? Less 
than a century ago, should one have reported it 
was possible to engage in a conversation with a 
party hundreds of miles away, he would have 
been considered insane! This, one time seemingly 
impossible act, was made possible by the tele^ 
phone. Should another party have reported it 
was possible to go to a telephone and get a conec- 
tion with the desired party’s line, without even 


17 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


speaking a word to the central office operators, he 
would have been considered crazy! A few days 
later if this same party had said as many as five 
conversations could be carried on at the same time 
on one pair of wires, without interference, he 
would have been placed in a lunatic asylum. 
Then, should he have said it was possible to en¬ 
gage in conservation with a moving vessel hun¬ 
dreds of miles out at sea or to a party on a sub¬ 
marine under water or to a party on a moving 
tra>n, he would have been placed in a cell and 
securely guarded, and very likely, he never would 
have obtained his release until these seemingly 
impossibilities were made possible, as they are to¬ 
day ! 

It is officially reported that communication was 
established, both telephonic and telegraphic, be¬ 
tween a hydroplane, flying 2,000 feet in the air, 
and a submarine, several fathoms under the sea, 
at the experimental station, New London, Conn., 
in Long Island Sound. The human voice is be¬ 
ing heard across the Atlantic by wireless tele¬ 
phone. A wireless message has been flashed 
around the world. Photographs are being sent by 
wire. A couple has danced by music, played on 
a phonograph which was in an aeroplane, flying 
3,400 feet above them, and traveling at a speed 


18 



The Dreadful Perplexing Question 


of more than 100 miles an hour. The inventor 
of the flying machine was ridiculed and snorted 
at on every side by the most noted scientists as 
being foolish and impossible, even going so far as 
to say that if God intended man to fly he would 
have been equipped with wings. Yet, to-day, the 
flying machine is used in every civilized country 
in the world. Think of the billions of dollars 
spent in developing and building the flying ma¬ 
chine, and the degree of efficiency obtained. The 
NC-4 flew across the Atlantic Ocean. They actu¬ 
ally have them so they will fly without human 
guidance, being directed by wireless. 

When electricity was first beginning to be 
used it was condemmed by the theologians of 
those days, as being the work of the devil, and 
cited some of the harm done as proof. Now 
thousands of horsepower can be transmitted by 
wireless, so say the electric wizards. The whole 
civilized world would not know how to get along 
without electricity. The phonograph, moving pic¬ 
ture, X-ray, and a great many similar illustra¬ 
tions could be given. 

Every well informed person knows that there 
are many instances in the history of the dis¬ 
covery and development of the most important 
inventions and scientific discoveries, where results 


19 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


of the persistent efforts of the so-called foolish 
enthusiastic cranks finally won over the settled 
impossibilities of the best learned and most noted 
scientists. 

These inventors’, or so-called enthusiastic 
cranks, desire for success was so great and the 
realization of the fact that there must be some 
way, somehow or other, created strength enough 
in them to overcome any and all obstacles in which 
they came in contact, enabling them to succeed. 
While they were attempting to accomplish that 
which had never been done before, that 
which was condemned by the best scientists as 
being impossible, they were ridiculed, snorted at 
on every side, yet they did not falter; they con¬ 
tinued until they won , regardless of what anyone 
said, thought, or did. 

DESIRE, when intense enough, breeds power. 

History shows that scientists never have, and 
perhaps never will, permanently separate the pos¬ 
sible from the impossible. 

Mountains are removed now, in this day and 
time. 

To mention only a few of these miracles shows 
very plainly how unwise and ridiculous it is to 
say or think a certain result cannot be accom¬ 
plished. Here the question which naturally arises 


20 



The Dreadful Perplexing Question 


with those who, perhaps, have malignant cancer, 
tuberculosis, kidney disease, rheumatism, paraly¬ 
sis, and many other so-called incurable diseases 
is, what have all these wonderful achievements, 
accomplished by the scientists and inventors, got 
to do with me getting well? 

Answering this question, the sick patient with 
the so-called incurable disease, is not trying to 
do that which is impossible, because every dis¬ 
ease known to mankind has been cured. (If 
there are any which have not been cured, they 
are so rare they have not attracted any attention 
of those interested in healing the sick.) It is 
encouraging and a winning argument for him 
to realize the fact that he is far from being up 
against a problem as difficult to solve, as the 
enthusiastic cranks, mentioned above. With these 
facts in mind he should not be amazed to know 
there is a way, within easy reach for him, to get 
well. 

This book is prepared with the hope that it 
may suggest, perhaps, something different, some¬ 
thing which offers additional proof, which has 
unshakable, rock bottom foundations, not expen¬ 
sive,, not so scarce as to make it necessary to 
struggle to get it, and within reaching distance 
of all who have a sincere desire and need for it. 


21 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


I cannot give the remedy a name at this time, 
because I haven’t found one I thought would do 
it justice. It is not any of the methods of heal¬ 
ing mentioned near the beginning; neither is 
it the so-called mental science, Christian Science, 
or autosuggestion. The method needs to be ex¬ 
plained in detail (which will be found farther on 
in this book) and leave the naming to the choice 
of the patient. I will touch on the naming ques¬ 
tion later. 

For the purpose of showing just how and why 
I became so much interested in those who have 
failed to get relief and in order to be better and 
thoroughly understood, it is necessary to narrate 
my own personal experiences. 


22 



CHAPTER II 


Many Dark Expensive Trails 

M Y MOTHER, being one of those who took 
unusual interest in medicine, hygienic or 
health laws, had one of those great big doctor 
books, which describes all kinds of common dis¬ 
eases, symptoms, what medicine to give, and how 
to prevent, cure, etc. Being one of those mothers 
who wished to stop trouble before it started, 
when anyone around didn’t look or feel just 
right, she didn’t hesitate to do just what that 
doctors’ book said to do. I further recall to mind, 
the last time I saw that doctors’ book there 
wasn’t any cover on it, and a good bit more was 
worn away. 

The beginning of my illness dates back to when 
I was a babe, 38 years ago. When I got old 
enough to know the difference between the right 
and left hand, I asked mother why I was left 
handed; her answer was that I was such a deli¬ 
cate, weak little babe, always sick, she and the 
doctors gave up all hope of me living. She felt 
that it was useless, and was afraid of irritating 


23 


It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


my mind attempting to prevent me from using 
my left hand; so as it was, I am now writing 
with my left hand. 

Despite the fact that I had the care of a good 
mother, who was always on the alert, with the 
aid of her doctors’ book, and physician’s also, I 
spent most of my boyhood days with physical 
disorder, one way or another, my school days 
numbering a few. My principal ailments were 
rheumatism, stomach and bowel trouble. I would 
often be in bed for weeks, and months, and on 
crutches a good bit of the time. After reaching 
the age around fifteen years I was stronger than 
ever before, with the exception of some stiff 
joints that were abnormal in size. I was at times 
able to do some work around the farm on which 
I was raised. Yet a little exposure to dampness 
would cause me to have rheumatism the more. 

When I was seventeen years old, or there¬ 
abouts, I had an accident, falling and spraining 
my right arm. Our family physician was called. 
He treated it quite awhile and it continued to get 
worse, rheumatism developing in other parts of 
my body in a very severe form. As my arm was 
getting in a very dangerous condition, and this 
doctor began to tell mother it would be necessary 
to remove it, she realized very plainly, that this 


24 



Many Dark Expensive Trails 


case was more than he could handle and his dis¬ 
charge followed. She then called a doctor that 
was considered one of the best in our state, and 
who was a member of the State Board of Medical 
Examiners. Not very long after this doctor began 
his treatments, my arm began to improve, and 
later got well. 

It seems strange how different these two doc¬ 
tors’ treatment was. The flesh of the arm was 
all inflamed, the former kept it covered with 
liniments, salves, etc., while the latter removed 
all of this, applying powder and gave specific 
orders to keep it dry at all times. Both doctors 
were about the same age, learned their profession 
from the same school of medicine, yet, how dif¬ 
ferent ! The rheumatism was very slow to 
improve. After learning from mother my phys¬ 
ical history since a child, he advised her to 
send me off somewhere that would give me a 
general, pleasant change of surroundings. I was 
taken down to South Carolina by my elder sister. 
After six weeks’ stay, I returned much improved. 
From this time on, until I was twenty-two years 
old, I would get better and worse. 

I was married at the age of twenty-one, in 
the year of 1904. After taking into account my 
weak physical condition and the history back of 


25 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


it, it is queer I should wed so early in life. I 
will briefly state how this came about. 

One hot summer day in the year of 1902, two 
girls came to our house to make an all-day visit. 
At this particular time, I was scarcely able to be 
out of the house. These two girls and my elder 
sister were strolling about in the garden, and it 
not being very interesting for me to stay in, while 
they were strolling, having a merry good time, 
I went out to join them. As I reached them, sis¬ 
ter ordered me back stating the sun was too hot 
and I was too weak to be out in it, and they would 
return in a short while. The two girls were silent 
for a moment, gazing at me with a sympathetic 
expression. One suggested the other return with 
me. As we were slowly walking back, I noticd 
this girl was paying particular attention to my 
swollen joints with a deep expression of sym¬ 
pathy on her (needless to say beautiful) face, 
as if she wished ishe could do something for my 
relief. 

We did not immediately reach the house as 
we stopped and entered a surrey which was tem¬ 
porarily left in the shade of one of the big oak 
trees in the yard. We remained seated in this 
surrey quite awhile, and during this time I 


26 



Many Dark Expensive Trails 


formed the opinion that this girl had an unusual 
kind, loving and sympathetic disposition. Those 
with such are always accompanied with a great 
desire to do something for the sick with pleasure. 
So, that day was the beginning of my last love 
affair. 

As time passed I improved and later was able 
to work. We became engaged. She thoroughly 
understood my history of physical weakness, and 
knew I was subject to, or liable to be laid up at 
any time. Yet she did not let this obstacle stand 
in the way. She always' held steadfast to the idea 
that some day, some how or other, I would get 
thoroughly well, and as said before, in late 1904 
we were married. My theory, which was formed 
twenty years ago while seated in the surrey has 
proven to be correct. 

The following summer I was caught, some dis¬ 
tance from the house, in a severe storm, and got 
soaking wet with rain. I reached the house as 
soon as possible, changing my clothes. I knew it 
would be marvelous if I did not have a severe 
attack from such exposure. On awakening next 
morning I had rheumatism in nearly every part 
of my body. A physician was called, and he 
treated me for two months, but without results. 


27 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


He advised me to go to Hot Springs, Arkansas, 
stating 1 that the hot baths froml these waters would 
remove the uric acid from my system, which 
caused the rheumatism. I, therefore, went to Hot 
Springs, bathed at the Superior Bath House, 
which was considered the best, on account of its 
being near the mouth of the hot water spring. 
After six weeks’ stay, and the service of two 
rheumatic specialists, who were practicing jointly, 
I received only temporary relief for a few days 
at a time, and then only when they would give 
me aspirin, which relieved the pain for a short 
time. The treatment and service of those doctors 
was very discouraging. They said the diagnosis 
showed that I had (what they called) chronic 
rheumatic fever, for which there was no perma¬ 
nent cure, that I could only get temporary relief. 

On returning home I became worse on the cars, 
and was compelled to stop off at Greensboro, 
North Carolina, and call a doctor. I asked him 
to give me something to enable me to continue 
my journey home. 

About three months after this I gradually im¬ 
proved until I was able to perform some light 
work around the farm. I would still have some 
fever late afternoons and evenings. Knowing how 
easy it was for me to have rheumatism I inter- 


28 



Many Dark Expensive Trails 


viewed this physician, asking the best way to 
guard against it. He said: “If I had rheumatism 
as you have it, I would not try to live in this 
part of the country, I would go out West some 
place, in some high, dry climate.” I did not like 
this idea at all, it was expensive, and I didn’t 
want to permanently leave home and be so far 
away. I wished to avoid this if I possibly could, 
asking if there wasn’t something else I could do 
in order to get well. He advised me to find a 
position, where I would be less exposed to damp¬ 
ness than I would be on the farm. While I did 
not like the idea of leaving the farm, I thought 
it best, so procured a position with the railroad 
company, as yard master’s clerk. At this time 
the rheumatism seemed to have almost disap¬ 
peared. This position I held for six months, and 
then asked to be transferred over to the shops, 
where I could make more money. 

After working at the shops for about four 
months I was taken with typhoid fever. After 
recovery of this, I began to get indigestion, and 
bowel trouble in a more severe form and again 
became lame with rheumatism. During the six 
years I held this position at the shops I was com¬ 
pelled to lose considerable time on account of 
this rheumatism', stomach and bowel trouble. 


29 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


During this time I was treated by several dif¬ 
ferent doctors, including one Osteopath. The 
latter diagnosed my case, stating that some of the 
vertebraes of my back were out of place, which 
were pressing on some of my nerves, which caused 
my greatest trouble, and he thought he could get 
me in good condition with two or three weeks’ 
treatment. After four weeks’ treatment I failed 
to improve, therefore stopped the treatment. 

One of these doctors advised me to go to Seven 
Springs, North Carolina, which was considered 
an excellent place for stomach trouble and rheu¬ 
matism. I followed his advice, and the treatment 
proved worthless, after four weeks’ stay at the 
Springs. I returned home, reporting no improve¬ 
ments, and the doctor ordered me back saying 
I did not stay long enough. The second time I 
stayed two weeks longer, and still did not improve, 
so I again returned home. The doctor then ad¬ 
vised me to go to some high, dry part of the 
country to live, and he thought it would be best 
on a farm, where I could have plenty of out-door 
exercise. The advice I listened to with regret, 
because I was not only physically weak, but also 
very weak financially, and did not see how I was 
going to support my family on a small farm. 
This proposition I considered for several weeks 


30 



Many Dark Expensive Trails 


before I decided to resign my position. My 
mother assisted me financially, and after this I 
lost no time in making the change. I arranged to 
get a small farm in Mecklenburg County, Vir¬ 
ginia, which was claimed to be one of the health¬ 
iest counties in the country. The Mecklenburg 
mineral water was famous far and near. 

I lived on this little farm for one year, and 
I must say my wife and little daughter enjoyed 
the vegetables, chickens and pigs, but as for me 
I was still sick, and unable to work. The doctors 
had long since confined me to a diet of what I 
call baby food, and also had me adopt the graham 
system. I had two physicians treat me while I 
lived on this little farm, and after their efforts 
and this change failed, they advised me to get 
a traveling position stating, that constant chang¬ 
ing would certainly be of great benefit. I broke 
up my home, sold out at a sacrifice, and began 
anew. Of course, this was very discouraging but 
it seemed to be good advice, and thinking it 
might prove the very thing I needed, I again 
started in search of health. 

I went to Richmond, Virginia, and secured a 
position with a wholesale brokerage firm. The 
western part of North Carolina being my terri¬ 
tory, I worked out of Greensboro. I was still 


31 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


forced to hold fast to the diet, and feeding pills 
in an endeavor to regulate my bowels. I was 
troubled with constipation or diarrhea, one or the 
other, all the time. After working for a month 
in and out of Greensboro I failed to improve. I 
saw an advertisement, inserted in a Greensboro 
local paper, of a stomach and bowel specialist. 
I called to see him knowing there was something 
badly wrong with my stomach and bowels, and 
was also much of the time lame with rheumatism. 
He made a thorough examination stating: that 
my stomach trouble was caused by not having 
sufficient acid, and this also caused the bowel 
trouble. He also said there was some trouble 
with my appendix, and advised me to have a 
good surgeon examine me for this trouble. This 
specialist treated me for a few weeks, but with¬ 
out results. It seemed that I must have this old 
diarrhea regardless of what I did. This doctor’s 
medicine stopped the diarrhea a time or two, but 
then it seemed that my head would burst wide 
open. 

I did not have my family with me, so I returned 
home for a visit, and while there was offered a 
position with a real estate auction company, as 
contract solicitor. I accepted this position as it 
was much better than my previous situation. 


32 



Many Dark Expensive Trails 


On one occasion the sales force was short a 
ground worker, and the manager asked me to act 
in his place. I begged to be excused stating that 
on account of my weakness I did not think it 
best, but he insisted, stating that I need not exert 
myself. I agreed. The president especially notic¬ 
ing my weak condition asked me to call at his 
office that evening, and upon arriving, quite to 
my surprise I learned that he wished to advise 
me to try Christian Science. He had a wonderful 
cure through Christian Science himself, and he 
told me there was a merchant in our town who 
was a Scientist, and for me to be sure and stop 
and see him. He also told me that he cured Mr. 

-of rheumatism. I had known Mr.- 

for several years, as I recalled to mind I knew 
he previously had rheumatism. I saw him using 
crutches. I thanked him, told him I would go 
down to see this Christian Scientist next day. 

As I was going down town I decided I would 

go see Mr.-first and ask him how he was 

cured of that rheumatism. When I met him I 

said: “Hello, T-, what did you do to cure 

that rheumatism you had some time ago?” “Mr. 

- cured me.” “How, with Christian 

Science?” “I guess so, I don’t know what he 
did or how he did it, nevertheless, I will tell you 


33 








It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


what I did. I went in his store with those crutches 
you saw me using around here and asked him 
if he could cure me. He smiled, reached over 
and pulled up a chair, asked me to have a seat, 

I sat there awhile, and before I scarcely realized 
what had happened I didn’t have a pain about me. 
It doesn’t seem reasonably possible, yet I got right 
up, walked around in the store without any 
crutches and not a pain. I left my crutches there,! 
and have been all right since.” 

I was as much amazed as I guess he was when 
this instant cure took place. I said: “for heav¬ 
en’s sake! I wonder if he can do the same for 
me?” “Do as I did,” he said, “go try it.” I 
went direct to the Christian Scientist’s store, told 
him my mission, and also told him who advised 
me to call. He treated me very courteously, 
and told me all about the many testimonials of 
those being healed in Science. These did not 
interest me, as I had already become disgusted] 
with so many testimonials. Treatment was what 
I wanted, relief, somehow, some way, of some 
kind; he asked me to stop back and see him 
again. 

I called again next day, and this time I ex¬ 
pected him to begin treating me; this he did not, 
but simply told me of more testimonials, and he 


34 



Many Dark Expensive Trails 


invited me back the third time. When I called 
the third time I fully expected him to cure me on 
this trip, yet this visit was simply the same thing 
over. He asked me to call again the fourth time, 
but I did not go. 

After being with this company for ten months 
I was offered a better position with another com¬ 
pany, to engage with them as contract solicitor, 
I resigned and accepted this latter position. I 
worked for this company for four months, and 
my condition became such that I was unable to 
work. I was half bent with rheumatism in my 
back, and lame with it in my hip, and eating was 
almost out of the question. I then decided that I 
had better take the Greensboro doctor’s advice, 
and have a thorough examination made by a good 
surgeon. 

I consulted one of the best surgeons I knew 
of and he told me an operation was necessary 
before I could be well. I asked him if he was 
almost sure I would be well after an operation, 
and he said he was, as he had located my trouble, 
which was altogether in my bowels, and this 
bowel trouble caused a congestion which was the 
cause of all my physical disorder. He asked 
me if I were willing to undergo an operation, 
and I told him I was willing to do anything to 


35 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


get well, and the quicker the better. Arrange¬ 
ments were made, and I was operated on the next 
day at eleven o’clock. I was confined to the 
hospital for one month, and then I returned home. 
My home was near the hospital and I could re¬ 
turn for treatment two and three times a week, 
and on account of this I was allowed to go home 
earlier than otherwise. 

Over one month after I returned home, and 
though still under treatment, I failed to improve 
or gain strength. I still had the same old rheuma¬ 
tism and stomach and bowel trouble, and when I 
asked the doctor what was the cause of this, and 
why I did not improve, he told me that my circu¬ 
lation had not yet adjusted itself back to normal¬ 
ity, that I would soon be all right, and be able 
to eat as good as anyone. I felt happy indeed 
when I heard him say I would soon be well, and 
able to eat as good as anyone. He changed my 
medicine and told me to eat, that it would not 
hurt me, for me to be easy in my mind about it 
as I would soon be all right. 

I stuck fast to this medicine. I was living 
in hopes that it would bring about the desired 
change, yet there was no improvement, and I 
became disgusted and told him I thought the 
operation and treatment was a failure. He said 


36 




Many Dark Expensive Trails 


it was not, and that I must have patience, and 
not expect to get well too quickly, that it took 
time. He commenced giving me electric treat¬ 
ments, and after three weeks of this, when I failed 
to improve, I asked him if it wasn’t time I was 
showing some improvement. He said: “It was.” 
I then asked why I did not improve. He shook 
his head indicating he did not know. He did not 
say for me to come again. However, he sug¬ 
gested another medicine I might try. Seeing that 
he had exhausted all means of which he had 
confidence, I did not call for further treatment. 
I decided there was no hope of me ever being 
well again. I must bear it the best I could. 

A few weeks later I had an interview with 
the manager of the company which I was work¬ 
ing for, and told him I did not think I would ever 
be able to work! again, that I had tried every¬ 
thing I could think of and nothing did me any 
good, and besides I was getting worse all the 
time. He expressed his sympathy, and told me 
not to give up, that I would come around all 
right, and asked me why I did not go to 
to one of the best and largest hospitals in Amer¬ 
ica, as their capital was sufficient to have the 
best doctors that could be obtained. I told him 
I thought it useless, but he insisted that I go, 


37 




It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


saying: “They will locate your trouble and cure 
you, if you can be cured, and if you cannot they 
will tell you so.” I considered making the trip, 
being willing to do almost anything in reason 
to not only get entirely well, but just to get well 
enough to go back to work, because this would 
be a great blessing to me as I was badly in need 
of money. 

I did go, and my youngest sister who was then 
in the latter part of her teens, accompanied me and 
placed me in the hospital. She returned as soon 
as she learned another operation was not neces¬ 
sary. Their diagnosis showed all the trouble to 
be in my stomach, except the rheumatism. I was 
at this hospital about a month also. They gave 
me hypodermics two and three times per day, 
and these temporarily relieved the rheumatic 
pains, but I was very nervous. I asked for treat¬ 
ment by a nerve specialist, this they refused by 
saying there was not anything wrong with my 
nerves. I asked the doctor if he would give me a 
copy of my diagnosis, and prescriptions of what 
medicines I would need, and allow me to go home, 
taking the diagnosis and prescriptions to my doc¬ 
tor there, keeping up the same diet, and he agreed. 
I arranged to leave the hospital the next day, 
going across the street to a hotel, with the inten- 


38 



Many Dark Expensive Trails 


tion of staying there until the next morning, and 
taking the train home. 

That evening after supper I had a very bad 
nervous breakdown and asked the proprietor to 
call in a doctor to quiet my nerves. There was no 
doctor near except at the hospital, and he sug¬ 
gested phoning the hospital for one, or he would 
have me taken over there. I told him I did not 
care to go back there, because my nerves was> 
one of my greatest troubles, and the doctor there 
said there was nothing wrong with them. I did 
not think they knew what was wrong with me, 
if they had they would not have allowed me to 
leave under such condition. I asked him to wire 
for my sister as I could not travel alone. I thought 
my time had come to die, and I was doubtful if 
I would be alive when she arrived, especially if 
I should fall asleep, so I wrote her a little note 
on an envelope I had in my pocket, placing it 
on the bureau where she could see it. After 
awakening next morning I felt much better, the 
fear of death had disappeared. 

My sister arrived, and you can imagine how 
glad I was to see her. She did not learn that my 
condition was so serious until we were on our 
way home, showing her the note I had written, 
and telling her how bad I had been. She sug- 


39 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


gested that we stop off at Richmond, Va., and con¬ 
sult more specialists. I objected, telling her how 
anxious I was to get home. I did not think that 
these doctors could do me any good if the doc¬ 
tors at the hospital could not, especially since they 
stated there was nothing wrong with my nerves, 
and I thought it useless to try any of the other 
specialists. 

For over a month after I arrived home I suf¬ 
fer red untold misery, growing weaker mentally 
as well as physically. My wife and mother learned 
of a stomach and bowel specialist located at 
Raleigh, North Carolina, who was said to be 
making some wonderful cures, and they asked me 
to go to see him; it was only forty-five miles, and 
the trip would not be expensive, and I could re¬ 
turn home the same day. I told them I could not 
go as I was tired, and worn out with doctors’ 
bills and hospital bills, that they were only a 
heavy expense to me without any benefits. They, 
however, insisted that I go, saying that it would 
not do to stop trying, I must do something as long 
as there was anything left to do, and that I would 
come across the proper remedy after a while. 
I agreed, and went to Raleigh to please them, but 
without any confidence about the desired result 
of the trip. 


40 



Many Dark Expensive Trails 


When the doctor had examined me he stated 
that he had treated lots of cases similar to mine. 
He told me to take the medicine he gave me, 
eat what I wished and as much as I wanted, and 
that I would be all right. One of your greatest 
troubles, he said, is that you are starving yourself. 

Dear reader, you will no doubt be surprised 
to know that this doctor’s medicine put me fast 
in bed, and came near putting me out altogether. 
I stopped taking the medicine, and in short while 
I was able to be up and creep about the house 
again. I have not seen, heard from, or asked 
about this doctor since. 

I then called to see an osteopath who was said 
to be making some remarkable cures. He diag¬ 
nosed my case, stating that I was in very bad 
condition, that it would require six months treat¬ 
ment or longer to straighten me up, that I was 
much shorter on one side than the other. It ap¬ 
peared that he was in much doubt about my re¬ 
covery even after six months or. longer treatment 
so I did not accept the treatment. 

Several weeks passed, and I yet had my same 
nerve, stomach and bowel, and rheumatic trouble, 
and still growing weaker, and all hope or aim in 
life completely gone. The idea of myself being 


41 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


permanently sick and unable to work, my wife, 
little daughter and myself having to fall into the 
hands of our relatives for support was almost 
unbearable. My condition can better be imagined 
than expressed. I had suffered and worried so 
much that it was difficult for me to engage in a 
sensible conversation, as I would forget what I 
was talking about. I could converse about health 
very well to my relatives, but other subjects 
would get away from me, and I would be at a 
loss as to what I intended to say, therefore, I 
desired to be alone. My mother being anxious 
for me, was at my house more than otherwise, 
and I asked her not to return home, but to re¬ 
main with me as I did not think I could much 
longer stand the enormous amount of trouble 
which had been pressing upon me for so long. 

They did all in their power to cheer me up, 
and tried to take my mind away from my troubles. 
Sister would take me auto driving, but this did 
not prevent me from worrying, because I knew 
the circumstances we were in. 

She asked me if I would again agree to try 
Christian Science. There was a Christian Science 
practitioner living next door to where she lived, 
and she knew of some wonderful cures this lady 
had made, stating that if it did not do me any 


42 



Many Dark Expensive Trails 


good it would not do me any harm as they do not 
use the knife or give medicine, I replied: “It 
makes no difference to me by whom, or how I am 
cured. If it is as foolish as the fall of a match 
from your fingers to the floor, relief is what I 
want, regardless of how it is brought about.” 

I thought it very foolish to think that after tloe 
most skilled doctors, who had made a life study 
of medicine, had failed to cure me, that a lady 
doctor or Christian Science practitfoner, as they 
call her, could do anything for me. I would 
rather not have been troubled. If there had been 
prospects of favorable relief it would have been 
different. I told sister that my money was all 
gone, and even if I did have any I would not 
spend another penny on doctors and medicine of 
any kind as my experience had proven to me that 
their art of practice is very largely experimenta¬ 
tion. Scientifically they know little about how to 
cure the sick. 

The Christian Science practitioner may have 
had some success in making some remarkable 
cures. I had taken numbers and numbers of dif¬ 
ferent medicines, been treated by many different 
specialists, used many different mineral waters, 
tried several health resorts, which were famous 
for remarkable cures, yet they all failed to cure 


43 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


me. I came to the conclusion that I was not like 
anyone else, and that I must suffer it out. 

She said that I was making bad matters worse 
by not having confidence in anything, and that 
I would find it hard to get well, when I would 
not even try and as far as money was concerned, 
if I would have the Christian Science practitioner, 
she would pay the bill. She believed this would do 
me good, providing I would do my part; she was 
very anxious for me to try it. 

I told her I greatly appreciated her kindness, 
but I did not want her to waste her money for 
something I was almost sure would be of no 
benefit. I then called her attention to the fact 
that previously when I was engaged with a realty 
company, the president advised me to try this 
same treatment, which I did, and all I received 
was listening to numbers of testimonials where it 
had cured people all over the world. This I said 
did not benefit me any, and I thought I had al¬ 
ready heard an abundance of testimonials; a cure 
was what I needed and greatly desired. 

She told me the party I went to was simply a 
merchant and not a learned practitioner. How¬ 
ever, of course, you are not compelled to try it 
again if you do not wish to, saying she did not 
think I had given it a fair trial, and she did not 


44 



Many Dark Expensive Trails 


know much about it herself, yet she honestly be¬ 
lieved it would do me good, and she did not think 
I should refuse to try it again, especially since 
there was no danger in it; that I had readily sub¬ 
mitted to an operation, stomach pumps, quanti¬ 
ties of blood drained from my veins, hypodermics 
and everything else that was painful and danger¬ 
ous, and now I didn’t care to try something there 
was no harm in the world in, that I did not even 
have to take as much as one dose of medicine, 
and furthermore I was afraid some one would 
make remarks or ridicule such treatment; suppose 
they do, why should I care, it was relief I was 
after, and it did not matter what any one said. 

Of course she had the best of the argument, 
and I told her to go ahead and arrange a date 
for me to meet the practitioner, I would try it 
out to a finish. 

The next day she phoned me that the lady was 
going out of town, but would be back Friday, 
and that I could see her Friday evening. 

The more I thought about the coming inter¬ 
view the less confidence I had, and when the day 
came for me to meet her I phoned sister a good 
excuse, and also put it off in the same way a 
second and third time. She then became a little 
impatient and told me she would not make any 

45 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


more engagements; however, the lady would be 
at home during the evening for some time, and 
when I felt able, to come on over, or let her know 
and she would come over for me. The lady told 
her to tell me it was only a few blocks and I did 
not need a rig, but to come right on by foot, not 
to think I was too weak, but to get right out and 
come anyway. I saw they were both becoming 
impatient with me, and I could not expect much 
else, yet I previously told her I could not be re¬ 
sponsible for breaking engagements on account 
of my weakness. She pardoned me and told me to 
come when I felt like it, or let her know and she 
would come over for me. 

A day or two later she was over to my house, 
and asked me to walk a part of the way home 
with her. I thought I could hobble along one or 
two blocks; she coaxed me along from block to 
block until we reached her home. When we ar¬ 
rived she told me I was not as weak as I thought 
I was. The lady practitioner was sitting out on 
the front veranda. I was introduced. After a 
few moments’ discussion about the weather, etc., 
she began to give me a brief explanation of what 
Christian Science was, and what it was for. She 
had not gone very far before I told her I did not 
know very much, that I was not a graduate, and 


46 



Many Dark Expensive Trails 


that I could better understand if she would use 
plain every-day language. She did this, and made 
everything seemingly plain. What she said was 
very well understood, and she invited me again 
two evenings later. 

When the time came for me to go again I 
’phoned sister that I was too weak to come over, 
but she told me I was not; to get right out and 
come over by foot, so I told her all right, to look 
out for me, I am coming if I fall in the gutter. 
On my arrival she said: “Ah! I thought you were 
going to fall in the gutter, you can see now you 
are not as weak and sore as you think you are.” 
This visit went very well also. 

The next day after I read over the paragraphs 
and verses she had marked out for me to read 
and study in the Christian Science textbook, I 
thought I would take a stroll down the street, as 
I had gotten along so well the evening before. 
While down town I began to talk to a few of my 
friends about Christian Science, asking what they 
thought of it. The best explanation I received 
was: “Just believe nothing ails you, you get up 
and go on, to the best of my knowledge that is the 
kind of doctoring it is”; while others said: “It 
does not do for me. They tell you there is no 
such thing as sickness, sin and death, while every- 


47 




It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


where there are those who are weary, suffering 
with sickness, in the depths of despair, and dying, 
all over the world.” I again became more dis¬ 
couraged and lost all confidence. 

At this time I had another nervous breakdown, 

similar to the one I had in-, yet not quite 

so bad. My wife wanted to call the doctor, I 
objected telling her I did not want any more 
doctors, as it was a bill for nothing. She slipped 
out in the hall and ’phoned for the doctor with¬ 
out my knowledge. A few moments later I 
learned she had called the doctor, and I persuaded 
her to go and cancel the call. A few days later 
I was over this spell, and while she and I were 
sitting on the veranda in the afternoon, the 
doctor passed, and when he saw us he stopped and 
came in, asking what the trouble was the day we 
called and then cancelled the call a short time 
later. I told him I was sick and my wife called 
him before I knew it, and I had persuaded her 
to cancel the call because I thought it was useless 
to have a doctor, as I had taken everything from a 
drug store that a doctor could prescribe for my 
trouble without any results, and it would be an¬ 
other doctor and drug bill, which I saw no way to 
pay. I told him I had tried, not only medical 


48 




Many Dark Expensive Trails 


doctors, patent medicines, etc., but had also tried 
osteopathy and others. 

He said he understood I had tried everything, 
including Christian Science. I told him I had 
previously tried Christian Science. He said he 
was going to send me up some medicine, and 
for me to take it, and cut out being despondent, 
and to stop worrying about paying bills; looking 
over at my wife he said: “Any time that you 
need my services, do not hesitate to call me,” 
and that I would not owe him a penny unless I 
were able to pay it. He told me when I was able, 
to come to his office that he wanted to talk to me. 
I thanked him for his courtesy; after he departed 
I telephoned to the practitioner what had hap¬ 
pened, and told her it was necessary for me to 
accept his treatment to show I appreciated his 
kindness. 

I went down to his office, he gave me some of 
the same old general advice, which I had heard 
many times before, telling me to forget my trou¬ 
bles, and the best way to do it was to go down to 
the beach, go fishing and have a good time. 

I returned home, told my wife what the doc¬ 
tor advised me to do; she, knowing his actions, 
proved that he was very sincere in his advice, 
wanted me to go to the beach. It was an expensive 


49 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


trip, and I had often tried the “go away” process 
before, without results. I did not care to go, so I 
returned to the Christian Science practitioner, 
told her I was ready for her to proceed with her 
treatment, as the doctor wanted me to go off, as 
they usually do. 

I began the Christian Science treatment again. 
Occasionally I discussed the health question with 
my friends, always asking what they thought of 
Christian Science; some would tell me that it 
might do me some good, while others said it was 
mesmerism, a form of hypnotism, or (the word 
commonly used, conjurism) faith cure, etc. 

About this time I heard of a merchant in our 
town who had been treated by this practitioner, 
so I went down to ask him about it, he said: “He 
had a talk with this lady about being treated, and 
that he did not think much of it; what he wanted 
was relief from pain immediately. He could not 
wait for the spirit to move the pain away, so he 
went on to the hospital.” I returned home dis¬ 
couraged again. 

I ’phoned sister, telling her I was not any bet¬ 
ter, that I did not understand the Christian Science 
treatment, and that most everyone I talked to 
about it seemed to have a very poor opinion of it. 
She transferred the message to the practitioner. 


50 



Many Dark Expensive Trails 


who came to see me. She said she was aware of 
the fact that I was getting too much information 
from parties who knew nothing about Christian 
Science. She wanted to know if I wanted to go 
a few miles out in the country to visit a friend 
on a farm for a short time. Thinking this would 
be very nice, I agreed, so she told me to get ready 
and my sister would take me out. Sister took me 
out to the farm, and at this time I did not know, 
these people were Scientists. 

During a week’s stay they were just as nice as 
could be, It was a very large farm, and Mr. 

—- would take me driving over the farm 

with him, while he superintended the work. I 
returned home some improved. 

I read and studied the latest edition of their 
textbook; some of it is very interesting. I 
learned a good bit from it about “mind” and 
“thought,” when it seemed to mean my own 
mind and thoughts. But to harmonize its teach¬ 
ings and arrive at a logical conclusion with the 
“Divine Mind” or “Love,” which was frequently 
mentioned was a task beyond my accomplishment. 


51 





CHAPTER III 
Are Cures Still Mysteries? 


W E KNOW the sick seem to get well in many 
and all kinds of ways. Some get well 
from taking medicine; some stop medicine and 
get results; some change climates, with results; 
some are cured by surgical operations. Long ago 
they bled patients, some were cured; to-day they 
can pour more blood in, some are cured. Some 
pray to the Almighty God and get well; some daily 
exhaust themselves with prayers and are still 
sick. Some awake after a long night’s sleep and 
find themselves well. 

I recently read of a marvelous cure, of a woman 
who was stricken with a nervous trouble, about a 
year ago, which doctors seemed unable to cure. 
It appears she sank down to the very brink of 
the grave. She says in this article, she awoke 
early one morning seemingly to feel and hear 
something say: “Have faith and all will be well,” 
and she knew immediately she was well and 
jumped out of bed, dressed, shouting the glad 
news, ate a hearty breakfast, hustled out for a 


52 


Are Cures Still Mysteries? 


walk around the neighborhood. Her mother, fear¬ 
ing she was delirious, followed her, but she went 
so fast she couldn’t keep up. 

Then we have the peculiar and marvelous cure 
of blindness of a prominent surgeon of Philadel¬ 
phia. He says he suddenly became obsessed with 
the idea that if he went to a Turkish bath and 
slept for several hours, he would be cured. His. 
suggestion was laughed at. Finally his sister took 
him to the bath; he went at nine o’clock, leaving 
word to be called at three, saying he was confident 
that when he awoke he would see. Sure enough, 
when he opened his eyes at three, everything was 
clear. 

I read of a case where a man was supposedly 
on his death bed, and they rushed the license 
clerk, that he might get married before he died. 
The marriage proved to be such a healing agent, 
he was restored to health. 

A man was cured of blindness by being allowed, 
by the Court, to remain with his wife as a biga¬ 
mist which relieved him of responsibility and 
worry of his first wife. 

A young lady was frightened into blindness 
when her automobile barely escaped striking an¬ 
other machine. Ten days later her sight returned 
as quickly as it had left. 


53 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


After the best doctors of all Europe failed to 
cure the born deaf and dumb son of the Queen 
of Spain, an osteopathic physician cured him by 
twisting his neck. 

An osteopathic physician wrenched my neck, 
back and legs and he manipulated me all over, 
but it didn’t do any good. 

About ten years ago my next door neighbor was 
taken with hiccups and the doctors worked on him 
day after day, with no avail. He hiccupped so 
much he became so weak he could scarcely move a 
limb. After the older ones of the family were 
convinced that the medical doctors couldn’t stop 
it, and saw that it must be stopped somehow or 
he would die, they decided to try one of those 
osteopathic physicians. I was in the room when 
he entered. He went direct to the patient, placed 
his left hand back of his neck and right hand on 
his stomach, raised him up, made him vomit and 
the hiccups were stopped in about five minutes. 
About two hours later the hiccups started again. 
This doctor was called back; he did the same thing. 
That was the last of the hiccups. The man was 
back at work in a few days. 

The hex doctor, commonly known as the 
“witch” or “conjurer” doctor, cures some. The 


54 



Are Cures Still Mysteries ? 


natives of Africa find the “conjurer” doctor the 
best known remedy for sleeping sickness. 

In ancient or early Bible times some were cured 
by pounding and burning the devil out of their 
systems. It seems that when anything got wrong 
with any one, they thought the devil had entered 
their bodies, and anything they could do to make 
it so hot or unpleasant for the devil, he would 
leave; and I believe the heating or burning remedy 
is holding good even to-day. 

Many are cured by having faith in the Divine 
Mind, as taught by Christian Scientists. The same 
may be said of the subconscious mind, auto¬ 
suggestion method, water cure, etc. 

So we see there seems to be no end to the 
many different ways the sick are cured. We also 
know a certain remedy will cure one patient and 
fail with another having the same disease. And 
the exercise or jumping method is used for both 
reducing and adding flesh. 

I read of a lady who often had fainting spells, 
and they used the familiar remedy of dashing 
vinegar in the face. One day as the fainting 
began, her husband rushed for the vinegar jug, 
poured some of the liquid in his hand throwing 
it in her face and My! it was bluing instead. 
Directing her to the mirror they both laughed. 


55 






It’s Too Bad We Didn't Know It Before 


The lady said later when beginning to feel faint, 
she would think of the vinegar incident, and the 
faint was a thing of the past. 

All of this suggests conclusively that the real 
cause of what makes people sick, and what makes 
people well is much further than the research of 
the scientist, or medical men have so far pene¬ 
trated. At least, it is evident that they abandon 
their search as soon as they strike a trail that 
leads contrary to what is generally believed. 

It is true that there are a few, and a very few, 
who have continued their research to the farthest 
extent, and tried to let their findings be known, 
only to suffer considerable abuse by being classed 
as one of the foolish, enthusiastic cranks previous¬ 
ly mentioned, and yet the so-called foolish cranks 
are the ones who have made the most worth-while 
discoveries. It may be said that there are a few 
who have continued their research and found 
truths so foreign from that which is generally 
believed, that they decided it best to keep them 
to themselves. 

I will now show you how I was cured, which 
is another one of the many ways. Further on, 
I will mention some noted marvelous cures with 
which perhaps you are familiar, taking them to 

56 



Are Cures Still Mysteries ? 


pieces, analyzing, so you may see just how 
accomplished. 

I was so grateful that I had learned to cure 
myself, I assumed the task of learning more about 
this subject, so that I would be able to present 
it to others in such an easy, convincing way, they 
would not have any trouble healing themselves; 
only to find the method I was studying was not 
the way I was cured, and the more I studied the 
more complicating and confusing it became, until 
I found myself drifting right back to ill health 
again, before I was ever able to learn what the 
trouble was as will be explained at proper time. 

Let us now return to where I said I learned a 
good bit about mind and thought, while studying 
Christian Science text books. Soon after I began 
to read this book in general I was continually 
confused with the words: “Divine Mind,” “Divine 
Love” and “mortal mind” as these words are 
often used in this book. I couldn’t fit any of 
them to my mind, nor could I satisfactorily fit 
my mind to any of them. Asking the practitioner 
for information along this line did not enlighten 
me, as she would say about the same as I had 
read, but adding that I would understand as I 
advanced in its study. 

I looked up the word “mind” in the dictionary, 


57 



It's Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


previously not having given it any careful thought. 
It was surprising to note how little I did know 
about the word. The definition of “mind” as I 
find it means: “that which thinks, reasons, con¬ 
ceives and understands. “Mind” in a general 
sense includes all the powers of sentient being, 
apart from the physical factors in bodily faculties 
and activities; and also says “brain” is often used’ 
as a synonym for “mind.” The mind, not the 
eye, really sees, or the ear really hears. Con¬ 
sciousness includes all that a sentient being per¬ 
ceives, knows or feels.” You see this definition 
points directly to our own thinking, conceiving 
and knowing mind, so this gave me a basis for 
thought, deductive, logical reasoning. I then let 
go the question of harmonizing “Divine Mind,” 
“mortal mind” with my own mind, thinking, per¬ 
haps, sometime later I would understand. 

Now then, if “mind” is that which thinks, then 
that which thinks must be “mind.” And it is a 
sure thing that nothing in existence can know 
anything except “mind.” It is also a fact that we 
cannot know anything without thinking, and we 
can change our thoughts from one subject to 
another at will. As I pondered and reasoned on 
this question of “mind,” “thought” and its activi¬ 
ties, it revealed the fact that my entire body was 


58 



Are Cures Still Mysteries ? 


subject to control and governed by my mind or 
thinking thoughts. Even while I was suffering 
from the rheumatic pains in my back, I could 
read or think of something funny and I would 
find myself smiling; and if the smiling thought 
was strong enough to have my entire attention 
I discovered that I was not suffering, in other 
words I was feeling good, while entertaining the 
pleasant thought; but the moment the smiling or 
pleasant thoughts were over and I began to think 
about my troubles and illness, I would then be 
miserable and ill. 

Thoughts of many other instances passed 
through my mind such as: how the girls blush 
when someone tells some joke on them they 
did not want everyone to know. How much faster 
the heart beats when anyone gets frightened. 
The two instances show that the mind or thoughts 
govern both the blood and heart. 

How nervous some mothers would get when 
uneasy about their children. They would be 
miserable and shaky even though the children 
would be safe and having a jolly good time. Here 
was thought controlling the nerves. 

How many insects, bugs, germs, etc., the 
strongest as well as the weak, we all eat with our 
food, and drink, that we never know anything 


59 



It’s Too Bad We Didn't Know It Before 


about and don’t make us sick; and how sick many, 
if not all of us are, when we learn or know we 
just ate a half, or a part of one. It is the same 
when we think we did eat a bug when we really 
did not. 

How our hands fail to do anything until we 
first think or learn how to do it. 

How anyone’s body moves when he thinks the 
thought of going, and he won’t stop walking 
until he stops his going thinking, and thinks 
“stop” instead. 

This proved to me conclusively that the diction¬ 
ary was right by saying: consciousness includes 
all that sentient being perceives, knows or feels. 
I knew all the while, as all of us do, that it is 
impossible to be miserable while we are thinking 
happy, pleasant, or good feeling thoughts. We 
just haven’t thought of it seriously, that’s all. 

I also knew that I could not think miserable 
and good feeling thoughts, both at the same time. 
Then I saw that anything I could do to keep 
thinking good feeling thoughts, I would continue 
to feel good. 

At this time I began to think, after all, I was 
about to learn what makes people sick and what 
makes people well, then I became almost over¬ 
whelmed with enthusiasm. 


60 



Are Cures Still Mysteries? 


I then set about to try out this “mind thought” 
process on my rheumatic back, as the rheumatism 
was more severe in my back than anywhere else. 

I had been jotting down my conclusions as I 
reasoned them out from time to time. As I 
reviewed the jotting conclusions, or facts, that 
“mind” only could think, be conscious, or know 
anything, and my back was flesh, blood and bones 
and didn’t have any mind to think or know any¬ 
thing, and if it didn’t know anything it didn’t 
know that it was sore and had rheumatism, and 
if my back, itself, didn’t know it was sore and 
painful, then the soreness and painfulness must 
be the sore and painful thoughts in my own mind. 
Now, if I will get these sore and painful thoughts 
out of my mind, then there cannot possibly be 
any soreness or rheumatic pains in my back. 
This logical reasoning revealed the fact that my 
sore and painful thoughts of rheumatism in my 
body were the cause of the rheumatism, as the 
rheumatism cannot appear in my body in any other 
way save through my mind; in other words, if 
I didn’t have a mind to sustain my body, my 
body would be dead, and no dead body ever did, 
or ever can, have rheumatism. This also proves 
that the mind is the very life of the body. 

Now, since I have traced the cause of the rheu- 


61 



It’s Too Bad We Didn't Know It Before 


matism, step by step, and found the original cause 
to be right in my own mind, by thinking the 
rheumatic thoughts, I see the way to destroy the 
cause is to think strong, well and comfortable 
thoughts instead, and keep these good feeling 
thoughts going, and the red, swollen, sore, rheu¬ 
matic places must dry up, because the rheumatism 
will have no further supply of sore, painful; 
rheumatic thoughts to sustain it. 

With correct reasoning this was the proper thing 
to do, yet I couldn’t do it, because I seemed to 
be contradicting myself by trying to think that 
I was strong, well and comfortable, when I knew 
that I was not. Here was an obstacle that took 
me considerable time and hard work to remove, 
as it required what I thought to be pure, imagin¬ 
ary thoughts, and I wanted to get well in reality, 
without any imagination about it. I several times 
went over this deductive reasoning process to be 
sure of its correctness, and every time it would 
lead me right back to this contradictory statement. 

I finally came to the conclusion that that was 
just what I needed to do; to contradict myself, 
or reverse the direction of my line of thinking, 
as long as I had any disease about me. 

Even then this imaginative idea seemed to strike 
me square in the face, as being wrong, so I looked 


62 



Are Cures Still Mysteries? 


up that word in the dictionary, and there again 
was just what I needed to know, and that was: 
imagination didn't mean what I thought it did. 
As it is generally used, it means only the kind a 
child would have in fear of going into a dark 
room alone. The dictionary says it means: “the 
picturing power or act of the mind, the construc¬ 
tive or creative faculty, planning, plotting, or 
scheming, as involving mental construction. Far¬ 
ther on it says: imagination goes to the heart of 
things, and seeks always and everywhere for 
essential truth. It also says imagination means to 
form an image or conception of, to conceive as 
real, to devise." 

As I said before, it's a fact I could not have 
rheumatism any other way except through my 
mind, and the only way it could get through my 
mind is for my mind to be subject to thinking 
such thoughts necessary to create or cause rheu¬ 
matism. 

It was then more plain for me to see that all 
the while I had been imagining, picturing, seeing 
myself, in my own mind with rheumatism, 
stomach and bowel trouble, and this imagining, 
picturing, or thinking of my ills as being subject 
to having them was the planning, plotting, devis¬ 
ing, creating and constructing faculty of my mind, 

63 



It's Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


which created these ills into reality. And I had 
already satisfactorily figured out that my own 
mind was the only thing in the world, that con¬ 
trolled and governed my body. I knew then posi¬ 
tively, that my ills were right where I, myself, 
created or put them. I then clearly understood 
that (even though I had it right then) I could 
think, imagine, picture, see and become conscious 
of myself being well, strong, with no rheumatism 
anywhere in my body, and it would have to 
become so, so there is positively no soreness in 
my back, knees, or other joints nor muscles. What 
a fool I have been, and what a fool I am, not 
to be well when I have a mind to know and make 
myself well, by thinking, knowing, realizing the 
fact that my back, or knees, cannot know or 
think, therefore, they cannot feel any soreness. 

I exclaimed to myself: “Well! well! well! what 
do you know about that!” 

I rolled over on the bed, pounded the afflicted 
places with my fist, struggled about as a child 
when playing runaway horse, proving to myself 
that I was well. I called my wife into the room, 
telling her I had finally turned the trick, pounding 
and struggling some more to prove to her that the 
soreness had gone. She exclaimed: “Well, that 
beats all!” I said: “Yes, it beats all, these places 


64 



Are Cures Still Mysteries ? 


can’t hurt, they don’t know how.” I applied the 
same line of thought to my stomach and bowel 
trouble, with the same results, only I had a well 
and normal stomach and bowels in view, instead 
of well and normal rheumatic joints. 

This was the last of my doctor, drug, hospital 
or health resort bills. My wife hasn't since 
worried about something I could eat. I eat any¬ 
thing I like, as much as I wish, any time I get 
hungry. I didn’t think of being nervous any 
more, so I haven’t been troubled with nervousness. 

There are scores of instances of cures, and 
also created diseases that prove conclusively, and 
definitely, that nothing in the world, could have 
caused it other than thoughts thought, or imagined 
by the patient. The Oxford boys’ experiment 
case which caused a subject death by making him 
think, and believe he was bleeding to death, by 
trickling water over his arm. The fact was, he 
hadn’t lost a drop of his blood. I noticed a few 
cases, referred to in a family doctor’s book, writ¬ 
ten by the professors of the University of Penn¬ 
sylvania. One of these is the case of a lady dying 
with hydrophobia by believing a mad dog bit her. 
The facts were, the dog only snapped her dress. 
Another is: a subject was made to believe he 
slept in a bed in which a cholera patient had died; 


65 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


he developed the disease and died himself. The 
truth was, there had been no cholera patient in 
the bed. 

In the American Magazine for November, 
1923, is an article by Bruce Barton interviewing” 
G. Stanley Hall, the world’s most distinguished 
psychologist, in which reference is made of a 
cure by fright of a fifteen-year-old cripple boy. 
The boy entered the hospital with his knees 
drawn up under his chin. Anesthetics were sev¬ 
eral times administered; while the boy was uncon¬ 
scious his legs were flexible, only to draw up 
again immediately afterwards, and also states 
that the boy was firmly convinced, that he would 
never be able to straighten them. One day as 
he sat hopelessly gazing over the hospital ward, 
a man in the adjoining bed had a fit, and started 
wildly swinging around a knife. The boy jumped 
out of the bed and ran downstairs. The physicians 
took advantage of this incident by telling the boy 
he would always be able to do as he had just done. 
He was soon discharged, completely cured. 

The running downstairs, and the verbal state¬ 
ments of the physicians and others around him, 
convinced him that he could be well. In other 
words, his mind was diverted, or perhaps it would 
be better to say: the thought conclusions enter- 


66 



Are Cures Still Mysteries? 

tained in his mind were changed. My readers are 
very likely to say this was pure imagination. It is 
imagination! Be sure you have the correct under¬ 
standing of the word “imagination.” 

Another somewhat similar case is described by 
William W. Walter in one of his books entitled: 
“The Christ Way.” A man with paralysis was left 
alone in his home, it seems that an oil stove was 
about to explode, he jumped up and carried the 
thing outdoors. When someone came up, ask¬ 
ing how he did it when he was paralyzed, he 
immediately returned to paralysis again and had 
to be carried back in the house. You see, this 
man forgot he had paralysis, his entire attention 
was forcibly directed to getting that stove out. 
I f he had kept his mind or thoughts on something 
else, instead of having paralysis he would have 
stayed well. 

It may be said this may be true but he couldn’t 
keep his mind off of it. Perhaps not at the time, 
but he then knew the possibility of it, and he 
could seek, read or study and learn a way to do 
it, adding a little by practice. The study of 
mind, and thought, and think and reason reveals 
many possibilities, that would otherwise seem im¬ 
possible. 

Dear reader, there may be a question of where 
67 





It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


does the sickness or illness come from that we 
never thought about, or how can we be sure that 
mind governs and controls our body entirely, or 
where do children (tots) get their ills from, 
when they scarcely know there are such things. 

I wish to remind you that I cannot tell or show 
you all I wish to at once, I am giving it to you 
the best I can or in the way I think best. Just 
stay with me awhile and I will do my best to 
clear your difficulties. 

There may be some who are ready to declare 
that this is mental science I am talking about, pure 
and simple. All pure or exact science is mental. 
That is, it requires the thinking, reasoning mental¬ 
ity to conceive it. Yet, I think you will find this 
different from the so-called “mental science” which 
designates both mind and matter as primal cause, 
which cannot correctly be; science, is scientific 
only, when it absolutely correct. 

At this time I thought I was cured by applying 
the principles of Christian Science, and my wife 
and I were telling our intimate friends and rela¬ 
tives. I was very shy in telling even them, because 
I was almost sure they would not believe. 


68 



CHAPTER IV 

Strong Enthusiasm Finds a Way 
FTER I was cured I knew the first thing for 



^ \ me to do was to get to work, and work 
was very scarce in the southeastern states at that 
time, during the first year of the World War, 
which caused somewhat of a panic in America, 
except around the munition factories. I knew it 
was useless to attempt writing land sale contracts, 
so I secured a job with the Eddystone Rifle Plant, 
which had a scout getting employees in our town 
at the time. 

I went to Eddystone; began work with the 
intention of using my spare time in a systematic 
study of Christian Science, thinking this was 
Christian Science that I cured myself with and 
it was that which the Scientists had been trying 
to tell me all the time, but I did not know it in 
those terms or that language. I thought by mix¬ 
ing with the Christian Scientists actively in their 
church, going to their meetings and lectures 
(which I knew there were many nearby in Phila¬ 
delphia and surroundings), studying their text- 


69 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


book and other writings by Mrs. Eddy, I would 
soon understand and have it all fitted up with the 
way I cured myself. 

As it was then, I could not tell anyone else 
about it as they tried to tell me and the way it was 
in the textbook, and expect them to get a logical 
reasonable understanding of it, other than ordi¬ 
nary faith as we find in practically all religious 
teachings. 

I was engaged at this rifle plant until the end 
of the war, which was about four years, and dur¬ 
ing this time I did all of that just mentioned above. 
I joined their local church, and very little time 
did I use for anything else, except working in the 
shop, searching, studying, gathering information, 
any and every way I could on the subject of what 
makes people sick, and well, and why some are 
cured, and others are not. 

When reading the Christian Science textbook, 
“Science and Health,” by Mrs. Eddy, and other 
Christian Science literature, I would come across 
statements that indicated plainly that I, myself, 
with scientific thinking and deductive reasoning 
to a logical conclusion, had cured myself. 

Then again, I would see statements indicating 
plainly, that Divine Mind or God was the only 
healer and that I, myself, could do nothing. 


70 



Strong Enthusiasm Finds a Way 


In trying to get straightened out on this ques¬ 
tion so as to know the difference between my 
mind and Divine Mind, I would converse with 
the older Christian Scientists or those whom I 
thought had the best understanding of it. When 
trying to tell them how I cured myself, they would 
rebuke me with reference to Mrs. Eddy's state¬ 
ment that Divine Mind or God was the only 
healer and that it was God who cured me, as we, 
within ourselves, could do nothing. This was 
usually followed by a lengthy explanation and fin¬ 
ishing with the statement that I would grow in 
understanding as I advanced in its study, which, 
of course, would leave me about where we started. 

After about four years' wrangling with this 
question, and many similar ones, and conversing 
with some far advanced Christian Scientists, I be¬ 
came so confused I found myself drifting back 
into bad health again. 

If you are a student of Christian Science and 
are puzzled and baffled over such statements, and 
also such statements as: “God always has met, and 
always will meet every human need" (by Mrs. 
Eddy), and you are in need, and cannot under¬ 
stand why he is so slow, in supplying your real 
needs, I know just how you feel and I will be very 
glad to advise ways that will relieve you of your 


71 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


difficulties, if you will address me, enclosing 
stamped and self-addressed envelope. 

I decided to withdraw my membership and 
return to my idea, or original mind thought, de¬ 
ductive reasoning way. I was then so full of this 
confusion it was some time before I was cor¬ 
rectly in my old harness again. 

The teachings of Christian Science is really 
doing more good than is generally believed. Its 
followers are learning the importance of thinking 
more, better and stronger thoughts, but my crav¬ 
ing enthusiastic consciousness would not allow me 
to stop here. I must go farther until I was thor¬ 
oughly satisfied in my own mind as to the real 
cause of what makes people sick and well in a 
better or more easy way of understanding. 

The way I was relieved of the many confusing 
and baffling questions that were crowding my 
mind reminds me very much of the saying of some 
writer (at present I do not recall whom) when he 
said: “No doubt it would be amazing to know 
truths discovered by some researchers who deemed 
them too startling to be made public.” 

Doctor Robinson, who is noted for his knowl¬ 
edge of history, psychology and practical philoso¬ 
phy, was four years lecturer at the University of 
Pennsylvania and later became head of the his- 


72 



Strong Enthusiasm Finds a Way 


tory department at Columbia University, stated 
when writing for American Magazine, June, 1923, 
on the subject of the seven greatest Americans: 
“Finally I come to the group in which I am per¬ 
sonally most deeply interested, what may be called 
'The Thinkers/ who range beyond the confines of 
a particular art, or science, or profession, and 
endeavor to clarify our notion about men, his 
nature, possibilities, and destiny. Of these, four 
names stand out in my mind, four philosophers, as 
they would once have been called, whose insight 
is a constant source of wonder and excitement to 
me.” Farther on he says: “The scientific man 
sees what others see, and then he looks hard and 
sees more, and then things do not seem to him 
as they did before.” He adds William James 
and John Dewey, sixth and seventh on his list. 
The fifth is an internationally known writer who 
evidently considered his best work a book he pru¬ 
dently reserved publication until after his death, 
indicating there were truths or facts that should 
be, or he wished to utter, but he wanted to be well 
out of the way of the startling effects.” 

In speaking of these men of letters, Doctor Rob¬ 
inson says: “They are a kind of a distinguished 
achievements in which one plays a lone hand or 
at least carries on his work in solitude.” 


73 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


So, getting information of an existing book 
which was not on sale in the book stores in the 
ordinary way and which, I had reason to believe, 
would answer the many confusing questions in 
my mind is the way my satisfaction was gained. 

Getting it was a difficult task, being directed 
from pillar to post, but with persistent efforts and 
pleadings I finally obtained it, not saying anything 
about the price. 

Containing truths and facts which are too 
startling to the unprepared minds is why he holds 
this work in seclusion. 

Occasionally I may use words or statements 
that are his and not mine; in so doing I will make 
indication as thus: Mr. Blank. At present I will 
withhold his name and title of the work. 

Through the study of this book I have learned 
much. It did more than clear up the many 
puzzling question, which, for a long time, I had 
been storing away in my mind. It made plain 
and verified the way or method I used in first 
curing myself as being scientifically correct. 

The author covers the subject of what makes 
people sick and well most thoroughly; he leaves 
nothing to confuse. He touches on various heal- 


74 



Strong Enthusiasm Finds a Way 


ing methods, all the way back to the beginning 
and up to the present. 

I tell you plainly he reveals truths that the aver¬ 
age layman does not believe any human being is 
capable of knowing. As far as I have learned 
the writing of this book is the greatest work on 
the subject ever written by anyone in any age. 

Very few realize what a deep scientific thinker 
the author of this work is. Ages will come, and 
ages will go, but this man’s work will live forever. 

I have stacks of newspaper and magazine clip¬ 
pings and numbers of books by many writers 
dealing with this subject. I value “this book” 
more than them all. 

Many writers have attempted to explain why 
people are sick or well. He correctly states the 
best method, the plainest I have seen yet, and to 
his work I give credit of being the greatest con¬ 
tribution to my knowledge on the subject. 

“Can We Plan Our Future?” is the title of a 
short article appearing in Collie/s Weekly, Jan¬ 
uary 12, 1924, by Robert L. Duffus, who also 
quotes Professor Robinson, previously mentioned 
and bringing out a thought in a direction which 
many do not often think. He says: 

“When I was a boy, which was the day before 
yesterday, the automobile was a curiosity, the air- 


75 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


plane a fool’s dream, the radio unheard-of, the 
steel-frame building an experiment, the motion 
picture just coming in. Since the turn of the 
century these and a few other inventions have 
altered the face of the world and the habits of 
mankind more than either had been altered since 
the discovery of America. Every one who is now 
past thirty began life in a stage of civilization 
which is now as out of date as the dodo. Call it 
the horse-and-buggy era, if you like. It’s gone. 

“This transformation, of which the World War 
was one symptom, was the work of a small num¬ 
ber of inquisitive men working in laboratories. 
It was the result of applied science. Now what 
is science? Let me quote James Harvey Robin¬ 
son, author of The Mind in the Making, and, more 
recently, of The Humanizing of Knowledge: 

“Science is nothing more or less than the most 
accurate and best authenticated information that 
exists, subject to constant ratification and ampli¬ 
fication, of man and his world. It is by no means 
confined to stars, chemicals, physical forces, rocks, 
plants, and animals, as is often assumed. There 
is a scientific way of looking at ourselves—our 
thoughts, feelings, habits, and customs; at their 
origin and interworkings. Science, in short, in¬ 
cludes all the careful and critical knowledge we 


76 



Strong Enthusiasm Finds a Way 


have about anything of which we can come to 
know something” 

“This sounds simple and obvious and human, 
but it isn’t. The scientific method is new—just 
how new many of us fail to realize. We can date 
it, if we like, from Francis Bacon, who died six 
years after the landing of the Pilgrims, and we 
may say that it did not become an all-conquering 
influence until after the American Revolution. 

“Careful and critical knowledge” came late in 
human history, for the simple reason that it comes 
hard to human nature. We fondly believe that 
we are reasoning creatures, but in reality we are 
emotional and instinctive creatures who some¬ 
times reason. We hate to alter established habits 
of body and mind, no matter how foolish and 
illogical. A scientist is entirely different. He 
likes more truth than the rest of us can stand. 
For this reason we common men have been prone 
to hit the scientific head whenever it showed itself. 

“So a peculiar thing has happened. The scien¬ 
tists have gone off by themselves and made a 
magic that even they didn’t foresee and don't 
wholly understand. This magic is transportation 
and great cities and wars and Ford factories and 
much else that will occur to anyone who sits down 


77 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


to make a list. These are the mere by-products 
of science, the symbol and prophecy of its coming 
power for good or evil. And the common man 
has taken the gifts of science, but gone on thinking 
with his spinal column, his liver, his adrenal glands 
—with anything but his brain and in anything 
but a ‘careful and critical way/ 

“The politicians in the Kentucky and other 
legislatures”—to quote Professor Robinson again 
—“think themselves competent to decide whether 
the State should grant funds to any institution 
in which man’s animal extraction is taught; the 
politicians in the New York Legislature provided 
that no one should teach in the schools of that 
State who was known at any time to have ex¬ 
pressed any distrust of our institutions.” 

He goes on: “Nothing could be more diamet¬ 
rically opposed to the cultivation of a scientific 
frame of mind. Education ought to be largely 
devoted to the issues upon which the young as. 
they grow up should be in a position to form an 
intelligent opinion. They should understand that 
scientific advance has greatly altered, and prom¬ 
ises still further to alter our environment and our 
notions of ourselves, and possibly the expediency 
of existing moral, social, and industrial standards. 
We should have a dynamic education to fit a 


78 



Strong Enthusiasm Finds a Way 


dynamic world. The world should not be pre¬ 
sented to students as happily standardized but as 
urgently demanding readjustment.” 

Professor Robinson fears that if the habit of 
“careful and critical thinking” isn’t instilled into 
the minds of school-children, science itself, with 
all its precious possibilities, may be swamped in 
a wave of ignorant opposition. If there is to be 
rapid progress, the scientific habit must become 
general. The scientists must come down off their 
high horses, translate their conclusions into 
language everyone can understand, and “rehuman¬ 
ize” that vast store of “vital knowledge” which is 
at present “tom up into fragments” and “shuffled 
into large piles labeled history, philosophy, psy¬ 
chology, philology, anthropology, ethics, politics, 
economics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, 
geology geography and botany.” And educators 
must cultivate “a new intellectual mood, a new 
tolerance of intelligent divergence of opinion, a 
new appreciation of the role of knowledge in 
human planning. 

“The last word is the most significant. Science, 
represented not by a few specialists in laboratories, 
but by all of us, must make possible a planned 
civilization. The present one is haphazard rather 


79 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


than planned, and—well, take a good look at it 
yourself.” 

Our literature is the driving wheel of rapid 
progress. From it we can learn in a short time 
that which required others many years, maybe a 
lifetime to find out, when presented in language 
anyone can understand, and there are plenty of 
commonly understood words to do it. 

By this, we see the importance of having all 
literature presented in such a way that will not 
cause us to waste about one half of our time 
trying to find out what is meant, which is one 
of the causes this book was not out long ago. 


80 



CHAPTER V 

Look What You Haven't Thought Of 

I AM now going to say a little about that which 
you may call almost nothing, so simple it is, 
foolish maybe to you. I am going to ask you if 
you know what a FACT is? 

I am pretty sure you know what a fact is, and 
I am also pretty sure you have never thought, or 
know how strong, or powerful it is. 

So I will ask you to think, ponder, and re¬ 
member, that a fact is, always was, and always 
will be, the truth about anything and when you 
know the truth about anything you know and 
are sure of the facts. 

I know it seems foolish, but look, five and five 
are ten, isn’t it? Five articles added to another 
five always did make ten, it never could and it 
never can be a bit more, nor less. We don’t care 
how smart anyone is, or how much authority any¬ 
one has, he can’t move it; even if he hooks all the 
locomotives and cranes in the world to it, he can’t 
move it. He may place all the most powerful 
hydraulic jacks, one behind the other, behind it, 
with the locomotives and cranes in front, and all 


81 


It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


together may jerk and struggle, yet it will still 
be there. It makes no difference what happens, 
it is still there. 

That is a FACT, and it is the truth. 

Now then, I am sure you will stick to a fact 
when you positively know it is a fact. 

I know the greatest difficulty the sick will have 
in trying to get well, is sticking to the facts. If 
they will stick to facts, regardless of what turns 
up they will not cheat themselves out of getting 
well. 

So now, not only for Heaven’s sake, but for 
your own sake, and for the good of your loved 
ones, stick to the truth when you know it is a 
FACT, just the same as you will now stick to the 
fact that five and five are ten, regardless of what 
anyone thinks, says or does, and you will not be 
sick very long if you will follow me carefully. 

I will now ask if you ever had an ache, or pain, 
when you did not know it? 

Of course not, because if you didn’t know it, 
you were not conscious of it, and you did not have 
a pain when you didn't know it. 

You know that is a fact. If you are not thor¬ 
oughly convinced that it is a fact, then wrangle 
with it until you do know it, before you go any 
farther. It is a fact and you can’t move it. 


82 




Look What You Haven’t Thought Of 


I have often heard it said: “I often awake in 
the morning with the headache”; as if they had 
the headache before they awoke! If they did it 
was a dream, and as soon as anyone knows it was 
a dream it is then gone. Or, if they had the head¬ 
ache after they awoke, they then knew and was 
conscious of it. 

So, any way you can figure, a pain is a pain 
only when you know it. And when you do not 
know it, it is painless and a painless pain is no 
pain at all. 

Now, mark that down. 

Taking for granted that you are well aware of 
these facts about the pain (and I know that you 
do know they are facts, you only needed to have 
your attention called or reminded of them, or 
perhaps you never saw them all hooked together 
as I have them) and are determined to stick to 
them through thick and thin (and I know you will 
when you think of the fact that you are cheating 
yourself, and your friends, if you don’t), I will 
proceed to remind you of how to stop knowing 
aches or pains when you know you have them. 

Did you ever learn anything without thinking? 
No, because you must think in order to learn that 
which you wish to know. Then it is a fact that 
you must think in order to know. 


83 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


You know that is the truth, and another fact 
you can mark down. 

Now what is it that does all the thinking, and 
consequently all the knowing ? It must be “mind,” 
because anything in existence that is conscious 
thinks, reasons and knows must be and is “mind,” 
nothing else can know anything but “mind.” 

Then it follows that mind knows all that is 
known, or can be known. 

If you try to reason around, trying to find 
something else that did have intelligence, or know 
anything, and you did reason out something, it 
would still be mind just the same, anyway you fix 
it. 

So, after all is said and done, the thinking 
thoughts of mind start and stop everything. If 
it didn’t, not anything would know what, or how 
to start to do, or begin any activity whatever. 
After following this closely, you know they are 
facts also, and that shows us plainly that we are 
individual being's with a mind to think and rea¬ 
son with, which is a part of all the mind in exist¬ 
ence. Just as a bucket of water is a part of all 
the water, all the water is all the water, and water 
is water anywhere. 

We have now reasoned and worked things out 
here to where we have only one thing left to deal 


84 



Look What You Haven’t Thought Of 


with, and that is our own mind of consciousness. 
When we are thinking and reasoning things out, 
it is our mind in action; and when anyone’s mind 
is in action, it is doing something. It is either 
constructing, or destructing, according to the 
thoughts entertained. 

Going back to the question of aches and pains. 
Let us see if we can reason out how these aches 
and pains seem to get in our joints, limbs, muscles, 
or any part of our body. 

We already know positively that our feet, legs, 
joints or muscles cannot think and know anything, 
because it, or they, have no mind of its own. 

To be solid on this question so we may mark 
it down as a sure thing, a FACT, we know a man 
can lose both of his legs and also both of his 
arms, yet his mind is just as good as before (of 
course, I mean when he gets over the shock). He 
can think and reason just as good, if anything 
better, as he has had experiences that have taught 
him a good bit about himself. This shows con¬ 
clusively that a part of his mind was not in his 
joints, muscles or limbs, as he now has as much, 
or more, than he had before, and there is nothing 
left but his head and body. In other words, he, 
as we call him, is about one half gone. 

Now we can mark it down as a positive fact 


85 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


that an ache or pain cannot possibly be in our 
muscles or joints, because they have no mind to 
think and know, and there is no pain where there 
is no mind to know it. 

The same line of reasoning will show that the 
mind is not the brain. No later than this week I 
saw where a nail was taken from an eleven-year- 
old boy’s brain (inflicted with an air rifle) and he 
walked from the hospital in command of all his 
faculties. 

Our records show that the size or weight of 
anyone’s brain does not determine how much or 
how little intelligence he has. The brain of some 
of our deceased most intelligent men were found 
to be very small or light. We can go on and on 
and get more evidence which will prove con¬ 
clusively that our mind is what, and where our 
thoughts are, or what we are conscious of. 

Some may say: “Well, where is the pain, 
then?” 

Answering this I will say YOU KNOW 
the pain cannot possibly be anywhere else except 
in your own thinking thoughts, of the pain in 
your own mind; and the moment you change your 
thoughts from the pain to some other subject that 
minute your pain is gone. 

Some rheumatic sufferers may say: “I some- 


86 



Look What You Haven’t Thought Of 


times have darting or shooting pains in my muscles 
and joints, even before I know it.” The darting 
and shooting pains are, and must be, the darting 
and shooting thoughts of pain. So you must stay 
on the watch, when one darts, cut it off before it 
has time to shoot very far. 

Do not say the nerves feel the pain, because the 
nerves do not know what a pain is; they could 
not feel unless they knew how or what a pain was. 
Suddenly change your thoughts, then see what 
the nerves have to say about it. 

When you change your thoughts, you positively 
KILL and STOP the PAIN. 

The pain is, and must be, your thoughts of pain; 
it is a fact you CAN’T MOVE IT. 

“Easier said than done,” I may hear some say. 
Yes, I will agree, yet you can do it. 

For illustration, you go out and spade up the 
garden, ride a bicycle, or play a game of baseball, 
when you are not accustomed to it, and your 
muscles get sore. You say: “My muscles are sore 
because I am not used to it.” 

If you keep up the same exercise daily, after 
a few days the soreness is all gone. 

The reason the soreness goes away is because 
your conscious thinking thoughts of soreness 


87 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


gradually wanes, and finally fades completely out, 
then you say you are now used to it. 

You can change your thoughts instantly to good 
feeling, strong and healthy thoughts, you are then 
in this state of consciousness. Even if it is only 
a few moments at first, you will soon become 
used to it, and the old miserable state of conscious¬ 
ness will soon fade completely away when you 
become accustomed to thinking, continually, or, 
at least more, or longer, ease thoughts than dis¬ 
ease thoughts. 

It may be difficult at first, but if you keep after 
it until you get these facts well set and indelibly 
impressed on your mind, the results will automati¬ 
cally appear. I said automatically, not “auto¬ 
suggestion,” yet I say if you like auto-suggestion 
and can get results with it, keep it up. The method 
described here in this book will aid in getting 
quicker and better results, or if at times you 
can get results, then again cannot, use the infor¬ 
mation given in this work, you will double the 
strength of it, thereby getting results where other¬ 
wise you would not. This applies not only to 
auto-suggestion, but to any other suggestion, 
health or business. 

I will also say it is, indeed, a very good slogan 
to think: “Every day, in every way, I am getting 


88 



Look What You Haven’t Thought Of 


better and better.” It keeps you consciously re¬ 
minded to do better, and you know the way to 
do better is to put on your thinking cap and reason 
things out, and roll up your sleeves and go after it. 

Having reminded you of the facts that your 
mind is where your thoughts or consciousness is, 
you now know the proper thing to do is to get 
your mind off your illness, whatever it may be, 
then there will be nothing left but the effects 
of your previous ill thinking thoughts. If it were 
tuberculosis, rheumatism, cancer, stomach and 
bowel troubles, or it may be kidney, liver or heart 
trouble, whatever it is, your body shows the effects 
of it, and they are the effects of your thoughts. 

You no doubt know (and I have touched on 
this question before) that your mind or thoughts 
govern your body and the facts prove it. You 
also remember the word: “imagination” means to 
plan, plot, create and construct; then, that is just 
what you have unwittingly done to yourself. 

Now that which you must do, is, turn right 
around and undo that which you have done (as 
Mr. Blank says), unthink the thoughts you pre¬ 
viously thought, and be careful you do not let 
any obstacle be in your way, such as the germ 
theory, or the inheritable idea. The facts show 
that all diseases are caused by the general dis- 


89 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


eased thoughts, entertained by most or all the peo¬ 
ple, uneasy or fear being the beginning. Just as 
it was when the man died with cholera, thinking 
he caught it in the bed where a cholera patient 
died, and wasn’t so. Many similar instances 
could be mentioned. 

To make you solid or sound on this question I 
will mention more incidents. 

Not very long ago scores of people died with 
the Spanish influenza, believing in the contagious 
and germ theory about it; as soon as the people 
began to find out the contagious and germ idea 
was all a theory, and not facts, the flu lost out 
and died away. Why ? Because they ceased think¬ 
ing the influenza, fearful thoughts about it, then 
there was not anything else to sustain it. I guess 
you recall to mind the experiment the Govern¬ 
ment had at Goats Island, securing fifty volunteer 
boys to try out the germ and contagious theory. 
They exposed those boys in every way they knew, 
and it seems that they tried their best to make 
them have it, yet not one of them caught it. These 
boys were volunteers and were not afraid. 

The Oxford boys caused the felon to kill him¬ 
self with his own thoughts. 

Since we know our mind governs our bodies, 
it is easily understood that fear, anger, hate and 


90 




Look What You Haven't Thought Of 


worry cause disease. Because the body must and 
does automatically act, and follow these unpleas¬ 
ant states of consciousness. You have undoubt¬ 
edly noticed how anyone loses his appetite for 
food when they get angry or worried, even though 
they were hungry. Anger, worry, fear or hate 
will destroy desire for food. 

When they were hungry (pleasing state of 
consciousness) the appetite or gastric juice was 
flowing; as soon as they became angry or worried 
(the body follows) the gastric juice was checked, 
the circulation of the blood changed or followed 
also, the entire body changed and followed this 
state of consciousness. A continued or habitual 
worried fearful state of consciousness has the 
entire body working or acting bad, this is when 
we say our whole system is out of order; when 
our whole system gets out of order, it causes 
stagnation and accumulation, then this accumula¬ 
tion is where the germs multiply, thrive and have 
their being, just as they do with any other foul 
matter. 

Then the doctor’s diagnosis shows there are 
germs, which are believed to be the cause of the 
trouble; this increases the worry and fear, which 
increases the accumulations, and unless the doctor 
has some drug, serum or vaccine which he knows 


91 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


will kill these germs, or the change of conscious¬ 
ness is brought about some way the patient will 
soon complete his journey to his grave. 

Getting back to the worry question, I read of 
experiments made to determine emotional effects, 
which showed that the blood was perfect when in 
pleasant state of consciousness, and imperfect 
with the unpleasant, also experiments which prove 
conclusively that food which was being normally 
digested was checked by anger, worry, etc. 

I have data collected from various sources and 
some are really startling to those who have not 
been on the alert for such; the few here mentioned 
should be sufficient. 

In a published article Dr. Arthur L. Holland, 
a noted stomach and bowel specialist, said: “We 
have positive evidence that the sight of food, the 
sound of food being prepared, and the odor of 
food will cause the stomach to secrete what is 
known as the appetite juice, this appetite juice 
is of practically the same composition as the true 
gastric juice. If it is checked because of unpleas¬ 
ant emotion, relatively little true gastric juice will 
be secreted. On the other hand appetizing food 
served when the emotions are those arising from 


92 



Look What You Haven't Thought Of 


happiness, laughter, pleasant music, have the effect 
of stimulating these juices plentifully.” 

Farther on he says: “Many investigators have 
made experiments which strikingly confirm the 
theory that it is important to eat our meals when 
we are in an agreeable frame of mind. One 
scientist, by means of a stomach pump, removed 
from the stomachs of some dogs the food they 
had eaten when undisturbed and apparently happy. 
Examination of the food showed that digestion 
was progressing normally. On another occasion 
he allowed the dogs to be teased and annoyed by 
other dogs while they were eating, and this time 
the examination showed that the dog's digestion 
had been greatly impaired, owing to the decrease 
in the secretions. 

Any strong sensation of fear or anger causes 
the adrenal gland to secrete adrenalin, and for 
some time after such an emotion the proportion 
of adrenalin in the blood is considerable above 
normal. We know that the proportion of adren¬ 
alin in the blood has to do with regulating the 
blood pressure, and it also has a definite effect 
upon the various secretions, particularly the gas- 
gric juice. I can best show you the physical 
effect of these emotions by telling you of an ex¬ 
periment made upon cats. 


93 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


The blood of a cat was tested to determine its 
normal content of adrenalin. The cat was put in 
a cage and teased until it showed signs of anger. 
A test of its blood then showed that the proportion 
of adrenalin was considerably higher. As the cat 
was angered more and more the proportion of 
adrenalin in the blood continued to increase. Fi¬ 
nally, the teasing of the cat being continued, the 
adrenalin content sank back to normal. Then it 
dropped far below normal. In the end, the func¬ 
tion of the adrenal gland was completely de¬ 
stroyed. After two or three days of teasing, the 
cat was really a crazy cat. The secretory func¬ 
tions in every part of its body had probably been 
affected. 

You can see from this how disastrous the effect 
of strong emotions of fear or anger may be upon 
the digestive process, especially if these emotions 
occur at meal time. The effect of these emotions 
at other times may be less apparent, but in the 
end they may be just as severe. Perhaps you 
have learned from experience that a “fit of anger” 
leaves you uncomfortable for hours afterward, 
and the effect may last for days. Intense anger 
lasting for a period of some days might lead to 
injuries which could not be repaired for weeks, 
and they might even be permanent. 


94 



Look What You Haven't Thought Of 


Eat your meals in such a way that you get the 
greatest possible pleasure from them. Then for¬ 
get them. Your stomach and intestines will do 
the rest without any hint from you.”—From 
American Magazine 5-23, reported by M. K. 
Wiseheart. 

If I could have only run across such a doctor 
during my long years of miserable suffering from 
stomach and bowel trouble, who knew this and 
would have told me or given me a paper explain¬ 
ing these experiments, facts, etc., how much suf¬ 
fering, time and money I would have saved! We 
see now in case of indigestion the first and best 
thing to do is to think about some delicious dish, 
fruit or any certain food which we like the very 
best of all; thinking how delicious and palatable 
it is, and by jokes, music, etc., get into a happy 
state of consciousness, and it will start the gastric 
juice flowing, digesting the food causing the 
trouble and creating hunger. 

Then indigestion, taking pepsin tablets, dieting, 
etc., is a thing of the past. Eat what you wish, 
as much as you wish, the way you can enjoy it 
most, then as he says: “Forget it.” 

Worry does not do any good, and you know it 
does do great harm. It is and always was an 
established FACT. You see the all-important is 


95 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


to keep in a pleasant, harmonious state of con¬ 
sciousness, so laugh, smile at all costs. Laugh 
your troubles away. 

I know and you know lots of people who laugh 
at their troubles; they look on the funny side of 
their predicaments. Some will say there is no 
funny side, there is if you wish to see it. Change 
your thoughts regardless. A pretty girl caused 
a roaring thrill of laughter when she sang “Tears 
are out of place on faces made to smile.” 

When you have difficult problems to solve it 
matters not the kind, whether it be health, busi¬ 
ness, finance, poverty or domestic. 

The very first and all important thing to do, is 
to positively refuse to worry about it. Then you 
can clearly think and reason it out and arrive at 
a conclusion regarding the proper thing to do 
about it, under the existing circumstances and 
conditions. This can be done without worrying, 
and if you will do it without the worry, you will 
progress much faster in every way. 

On the other hand, if you worry with your 
problems, they seemingly become more compli¬ 
cated, because in worrying you become agitated, 
confused, and the solving of the problem is 
delayed, and the more worried you are, and all 


96 



Look What You Haven’t Thought Of 


the while you are worrying, you are making your¬ 
self sick. 

Should the problem be such that you cannot 
think and reason it out without worrying, the best 
and quickest way to get relief is to cease thinking 
of it for the time being, get in a pleasant, har¬ 
monious state of consciousness, then get some 
competent person to solve it for you, or it may be 
of such nature that it can be delayed until such 
time that you can think and reason it out with¬ 
out worrying. 

Really there is no worry about any problem; 
the worry is only the worrying thought enter¬ 
tained. So for your own valuable interest, please 
do not worry. 

Positively refuse to think the worrying 
thoughts. It makes you sick, it is painful, it is 
expensive, it bars you from work, it makes your 
business sick, it is easily understood how dis¬ 
astrous it is. 

If you are sick or your business is sick, cut out 
your worrying, reverse your thoughts, cure your¬ 
self, straighten out your affairs, cure your sick 
business. 

It can be done; it is being done; others are 
doing it. Many do a thriving progressive busi¬ 
ness even during what we call hard times. 


97 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


If the salesman is slow, drowsy, lacking energy; 
there is something not satisfactory in his mind. 
He needs to settle this question, some way, some¬ 
how or other, of course in an honorable, justice 
to all, way. Then he can have all necessary pep, 
thereby benefiting himself as well as others. 

The basic and most vital question with all of 
us is, being well and strong, with a good clear 
mind to think with. 

Another obstacle that may hinder some, is the 
belief that certain localities are unhealthy; that 
is another theory that facts prove to be false. 
While we do not approve of any unsanitary con¬ 
dition, yet we know there are many who have lived 
all their lives in filthy, dingy quarters, and some 
in low, marshy, filthy lowlands, that have been 
well, strong and healthy all their lives. 

There is a certain case I often recall to mind 
with interest. When I was growing up on a 
southern farm, in the latter part of my teens, 
there was an old colored man; I guess he was 
then about sixty years old. He followed the 
occupation of cleaning out ditches, wells, etc.; in 
so doing he was continually wet, muddy, and 
filthy day after day. He lived all alone in a small 
hut which was far from the class of cleanliness. 
When he finished a job he did not change his 


98 



Look What You Haven’t Thought Of 


clothing before he went out to the next, which 
was, perhaps, miles away. It seemed so danger¬ 
ous to me, one day I asked him if it ever made 
him sick; he surprised me with the reply that he 
had not experienced a day’s sickness in all his 
life, not even as much as a headache or toothache. 
This old darkey was so ignorant and knew so 
little about dis-ease (as Mr. Blank expresses the 
word disease) that he didn’t even know how, or 
what a headache really was. 

It is indeed wise to be ignorant of dis-ease. 

All the child knows about dis-ease is that which 
it has been taught. Parents should learn and 
know it is not folly to permit the child to choose 
in reason its own food, and as much, and at any 
time it desires. 

The strongest thought rules and governs. 
Mothers, you know your mind and thoughts gov¬ 
ern your feelings; and your mind and thoughts 
govern the feeling of your child before it was 
born, so does it govern the feelings of the child 
after it is born, until it gets old enough to think 
and know dis-ease and ease stronger than its 
parents. 

Parents say the baby is sick. The quickest way 
to cure the child is to do that which you think 
should be done; that is, use whatever remedy, 


99 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


doctor or specialist you think best, then attract 
the child’s attention to ease continually or as 
much as you can, together with your own 
thoughts, just as you would in treating your¬ 
self, think, imagine, sense, feel and see the baby 
well instead. Then watch the baby improve even 
though the doctor is treating it or you have given 
it soothing syrup. Imagine and see it well any¬ 
how, and don’t let the germ theory bother you. 
Be careful of your action in the presence of the 
child that you do not cause it to think more sick¬ 
ness instead of less. 

Changing consciousness, as before mentioned, 
to ease, stops accumulations which disease creates 
and as soon as accumulation ceases the disease 
begins to disappear. In fact, if well people caught 
disease germs any and every where, we all would 
be dead. 

Note what Dr. Alsaker, the successful New 
York physician known as a new type physician, 
says regarding germs as we see it in the Success 
Magazine for August, 1923: 

“The germ theory is in the saddle. The theory 
is plausible, and those who do not give the matter 
of disease causation special attention are almost 
sure to believe it. Why? Because they have 


100 




Look What You Haven't Thought Of 

been in the habit of accepting what the medical 
profession says as gospel truth. 

“Doctors are not necessarily right. The major¬ 
ity of them have never been right to date, and they 
are not right today in trusting the germ theory. 
They were not right when they said that evil 
spirits caused disease; they were not right when 
they blamed black bile (atrabile) for disease 
conditions; they were not right when they called 
vapors and humors the cause of disease. We 
have to laugh at the nonsense of our predecessors. 

Medical history is one.comedy.. 

.. a comedy because when we 

read that a certain word, or genuine dragon’s 
blood, or powdered horn of unicorn (which never 
existed), or bird dropping, or ground skull of a 
crimminal, would prove to be absolute cures, we 
can’t help smiling. In a hundred years they will 
be reading of our faith in the germ theory and 
smiling at our credulity. 

“Germs are present in disease, but they do not 
cause disease If germs really produce disease 
there would not be a warm-blooded being alive 
on earth. For germs are everywhere. They are 
in food and water; they are in the air; they are in 
the ground. Every place fit for human habitation 


101 






It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


is populated by germs—germs by the million and 
germs by the billion. 

“You and I have the pneumococcus with us at 
various times—sometimes for weeks. All of us 
carry around some thousand pneumonia germs— 
so-called—at times. Why don’t we get pneu¬ 
monia? Because the pneumococcus is not the 
cause of pneumonia. The pneumonia comes first, 
and then the conditions in the lungs are just right 
for the multiplication of germs. Ask those who 
examine the sputum in pneumonia if the pneu¬ 
mococcus is the only germ found. They will tell 
you that numerous strains of germ life are pres¬ 
ent. The congestion of the lungs and the pres¬ 
ence of excessive waste is a condition upon which 
numerous germs thrive. The pneumonia comes 
first, and then there is a great multiplication of 
the germs. In other words, the germs are an 
effect, not a cause, of the disease. 

“Then there is tuberculosis. No civilized 
human being can possibly live to maturity with¬ 
out eating or drinking or breathing tubercular 
germs. About one-seventh of the human race 
dies of tuberculosis, but if the tubercular genus 
could produce consumption, not one of us could 
live to be thirty-five years old. The bugs would 
get us long before that time.” 


102 



Look What You Haven’t Thought Of 


Your mind, consciousness, governs your body, 
pleasant or unpleasant, uneasy, sick, thinking 
thoughts, and this unpleasant state of conscious¬ 
ness, causing accumulations, in which, of course, 
germs are always found. Change your mind and 
destroy the disease. 

If you think a little, you can recall to mind 
instances of cures of those afflicted with disease 
said to be caused by the germs, such as tuber¬ 
culosis, who have perhaps changed localities and 
gotten well after all other efforts failed. 

We can’t say changing location killed the germ, 
because others in the same locality contract the 
same disease and change with the same results, or 
vice versa. 

Changing localities, the surroundings in gen¬ 
eral, often change states of consciousness, some¬ 
times it does and again it doesn’t, the former get 
well and the latter do not. 

Disease dies or thrives according to the way the 
belief or consciousness is. Be careful you do not 
get the idea or form the opinion that I advocate 
or say the vaccination or quarantine rulings, such 
as for smallpox, does not do any good and does 
all harm. This question can be answered both 
ways, yes and no, according to the existing condi¬ 
tions at the time. 


103 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


There are some localities that would suffer dis¬ 
aster if deprived of the vaccine quarantine method 
for curing and checking spread of the disease. 
It would be folly to violate these health laws, as 
it will increase the fear, thereby injuring others, 
as well as yourself. In such localities when a case 
is discovered a staff of health officers, doctors, 
police, etc., jump on it with both feet, then every¬ 
one believes they have stamped it out before it 
had time to spread, therefore, they have no fear 
and forget about it and the disease is checked. 
On the other hand, if they are frightened out of 
their wits the results will be the opposite, as it 
seems to have been the case in England and Phil¬ 
ippine Islands according to reports. England 
started the smallpox vaccine quarantine rulings, 
and it seemed the more they vaccinated and quar¬ 
antined the worse it got, so they cut it out, and 
now there is no compulsive smallpox vaccination 
laws, and the mortality rate from this cause is 
around the lowest. The results in Philippine 
Islands being the same, only worse. It seems that 
when the vaccine quarantine method was intro¬ 
duced it frightened them as (learning smallpox 
was coming or already at hand) if the devil had 
been let loose down there, and nobody knew how 


104 



Look What You Haven't Thought Of 


near he was hiding, and the smallpox mortality 
rate went sky-high. 

Somewhat similar instances of variations were 
noted with New York, Philadelphia and Atlantic 
City during the infantile paralysis and influenza 
epidemics some years ago. 

During this time we read from the editorial 
columns of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Sept. 16, 
1916, one of the largest daily newspapers in the 
Eastern States, as follows: “Not a plague but a 
panic. For adopting a common sense method of 
handling infantile paralysis Atlantic City is to be 
commended. Here is a city that has been crowded, 
throughout the year. Its guests have been num¬ 
bered by the hundreds of thousands, coming from 
all parts of the country. The figures are placed 
at 2,000,000 by Mayor Bacharach', including a 
quarter of a million of children. Here, if any¬ 
where, according to theory, there should have 
been an epidemic. But there have been but twenty- 
two cases of paralysis in all, five of which were 
returned to Philadelphia. Of the remaining seven¬ 
teen, not one proved fatal. There is a record for 
you! 

“Atlantic City has not been neglectful. It has 
kept itself clean and has examined the certificates 
of children and maintained a general oversight 


105 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


after their arrival. But—and here is the im¬ 
portant point—it has refused to carry on a cam¬ 
paign of frightfulness, and to this fact it believes 
that very much of its remarkable freedom from 
paralysis is due. The disease is not new. It is 
usually in evidence, but this year it has broken 
bounds. Had other cities pursued the course of 
Atlantic City; had the public not been frightened 
out of its wits; had the authorities gone about 
their duties without hysteria, would there have 
been any such death roll as there has been ? We 
very much doubt it. 

“We cannot recall when there has been such a 
studied effort to produce fear. It began with the 
medical officials of New York. The modern 
method of preventing disease seems to be to 
frighten everyone to death in an effort to escape 
it. In any event, New York medical men did their 
very best to give every parent a miserably 
wretched summer, and those of other cities have 
been quick to follow their example. Every 
mother has been made nervous. Every father 
has feared the worst. Let a dozen physicians get 
together and manufacture a new disease and 
placard its mythical symptoms and that disease, 
which never had existence, will have its run. 
There is no doubt in the world that great impetus 


106 




Look What You Haven’t Thought Of 


has been given to infantile paralysis by the fear 
that has been forced not only upon parents, but 
upon children, and it is remarkable to what an 
extent the newspapers and magazines of the coun¬ 
try, including medical journals, have taken up this 
idea. 

“Infantile paralysis has never been a ‘plague'; 
it has been a panic, and well would it toe if the 
medical authorities everywhere would take the 
lesson of the panic to heart and govern themselves 
accordingly in the future, for to their mistaken 
zeal much of the summer's suffering is unques¬ 
tionably chargeable. The experience of Atlantic 
City proves it." 

You will notice New York stirred up quite a 
bit of fear, realizing their mistake (which is well 
described by the Inquirer, and no doubt this and 
similar articles are responsible for the turning of 
the tide). Later, when the influenza began they 
did just the opposite, with opposite results, as we 
read from the Rutland (Vt.) News: “What is 
true of influenza is true of most diseases. Fear, 
fright, a mental condition, is responsible for most 
of them. Those cities that declared a quarantine 
last year on account of the epizootic or influenza 
epidemic—making a great hullabaloo and frighten¬ 
ing emotional people—all showed a larger fatality 

107 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


list than New York, where no quarantine was de¬ 
clared and all schools and public meetings went on 
as usual.” 

Also, what the Philadelphia Inquirer says about 
it: “The board of health is to consider on Wed¬ 
nesday (October 23, 1918) the question of lift¬ 
ing the ban on churches, theatres, and other places 
of public gathering. In New York, where there 
has been no ban, influenza has been far less 
prevalent than here, although New York’s popula¬ 
tion is much greater. Very wisely, New York de¬ 
clined to start a panic, which a general closing 
down would have done, and as it actually did do 
here.” 

For the purpose of completely clearing your 
mind of fear of germs I will mention this one, 
clipped from the Christian Science Sentinel, De¬ 
cember 27, 1919, quoting the Rocky Mountain 
News, Denver, Col. There is more in the article, 
but I will give only that pertaining to germs and 
drugless healing, which should be sufficient, as 
follows: “As a result of the lack of success of 
the medical profession in trying to prevent and 
cure disease by treatments based on the germ 
theory, the number of people who depend on 
drugless healing is rapidly increasing. In an 
article in a medical magazine, Ely G. Jones, M.D., 


108 



Look What You Haven’t Thought Of 


of Buffalo, recently said : ‘As physicians we have 
failed in our duty to the sick; we have failed to 
find a definite treatment for the diseases common 
to our country. As a result of this sad state of 
things there are thirty-five million people in the 
United States that depend upon some form of 
drugless healing when they are sick * * 

Another from the Christian Science Sentinel , 
November 1, 1919, quoting Detroit (Mich.) Free 
Press : “The following facts, vouched for by a 
prominent physician connected with the Detroit 
board of health, are worth pondering at a time 
when the air is filled with flu germs and with 
cautions, warnings, preventive measures, and 
treatments of the disease. While the state flu ban 
was on, one of our hospitals, which is used ex¬ 
pressly for contagious diseases, was crowded to 
its utmost capacity with hundreds of flu cases. 
The nurses, accustomed to handling contagious 
diseases, took the same general precautions in flu 
cases as in all others. Not one of them got the 
flu. A few cases overflowed into another hospital, 
ordinarily not used for contagious diseases. Here 
the nurses took all the precautions specially recom¬ 
mended against flu and sixty of them came down 
with the disease. Doubtless fifty-nine of the sixty 


109 




It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


overlooked one precaution—they forgot to be una¬ 
fraid. 

“Add a bad scare to an ordinary cold, and fever 
is almost certain to appear. The fever invites 
other complications, quickly wears down bodily 
resistance, and there you are—ready for pneu¬ 
monia, followed by flowers and slow music. Pre¬ 
scription: Avoid taking cold, but if you do get 
one, don’t think the wheeze of your pipes is 
Gabriel’s call blown through a flu trumpet.” 

It is not surprising when you see an article in 
the Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia, Pa., February 
26, 1919, headed: “Some can’t get diphtheria. 
Some persons are born with something in their 
blood which makes them immune from diphtheria, 
according to the New York City Health Depart¬ 
ment.” 

Now, then, what is that something in the blood 
these health authorities are talking about? It is 
not difficult to see it is the same something that 
was in those nurses that did not get the flu just 
mentioned above, it is the same something that 
was in the fifty volunteer boys in the Goats Island 
flu experiment. It is the same something that I 
am striving my best to put in everybody else who 
reads this book and it will be in them likewise 
should they give it due and careful consideration. 


110 



Look What You Haven't Thought Of 


It is the same something that prevents a child 
from being afraid of the “ghost what ain’t.” 
(Parlette.) 

So, never any more, as long as you live, be 
afraid of the germ “ghost, what ain’t.” 

Some may say: “Well, what are we going to 
do then, when some of those contagious diseases 
do begin; sit and hold our hand, let it have its 
run and kill everybody it wants to ?” Eh ? As 
you say, should the health department and the 
public press give notice to be careful, the public 
then gets frightened and that makes it worse, so 
there we are. 

The best thing to do is to let the public know 
it is a “ghost what ain’t”; those that have it were 
and are afraid of the “ghost what ain’t.” 

If you will pardon my expression I will say 
the best way to let the public know it now, since 
practically everybody is afraid, is to get some of 
those high-powered salesmen who have read so 
much psychology that they can go out and sell 
any man the moon, at a high price, and the stars 
to his wife and children on the side. 

Give them the facts and a small part pro-rated 
cash and I think they will turn the trick quicker 
than any other way. 

We all know at times, even with indisputable 


111 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


facts, it is a very difficult task to prove to your 
own satisfaction so the frightened can clearly see 
that the ghost is really the “ghost what aint.” 
They are so sure of it they are afraid to let you 
lead them near enough that they may see, for sure, 
that you are right, and be convinced that you are 
not the tricker of the trick. 

Still I do not think the germ theory will last 
very long, as it is fast being recognized as a theory 
only, from such results as described above. 

So forget about all these many different causes 
which you believe have made you sick. You are 
now learning the facts, so there is nothing to 
fear. .When the fear is completely gone the many 
causes will not be causes to you. There is only 
one cause, that is the state of consciousness, be it 
good or bad, which results are sick or well, poverty 
or plenty. 

Having gone with me thus far, all probabilities 
are, you are easy in your mind, sensing and feel¬ 
ing at ease. 

Now what you need to do is to keep your mind 
full of well and strong, constructive thoughts. 
Think about how your body would look if you had 
never been sick, then you will have a picture of 
yourself as well and strong. Never mind about 


112 



Look What You Haven’t Thought Of 


the contradictory, imaginary idea about it, be¬ 
cause, goodness knows, that is just what you need 
to do. 

If you wanted to build a house you would first 
imagine, think, and draw a picture of it in your 
mind, so you would know what kind of a house 
you were going to build. 

Do not forget imagery, upbuilding thoughts are 
constructive. You can build your body back, as 
it was before, or like you reasonably wish it to 
be, by constantly continually thinking, sensing, 
feeling, imagining, and seeing yourself well, 
strong and healthy. Aim at it. Feel that way, 
and act that way. It will gradually grow back to 
normal. 

It will grow fast or slow, according to how 
strong or much you THINK and KNOW the 
FACTS. It is nature and you know nature will 
do it, if you will use it. You have it, and plenty 
of it, just as long as you have a mind to think 
with. Therefore, open up yourself, let the power 
of nature in, think it, sense it, feel it. The stronger, 
larger the dose the better. 


113 




CHAPTER VI 

Marvels Analyzed, How Accomplished, 
Conclusion 


O NE of the most remarkable strength, body 
and muscle development is that of “Farmer” 
Bums, a famous wrestler, who has held three 
world’s championship titles and lost only seven 
matches out of 6000. 

Generally speaking, the public is not very much 
interested in the sport of wrestling; but the 
achievements in health and strength accomplished 
by the professional wrestlers are, indeed, object 
lessons in health. We care nothing regarding the 
source of good, valuable ideas, so long as they 
are good they are worthy of careful consideration. 

I consider a good professional wrestling show 
a good, big dose of health and strength. 

There is a splendid article in The American 
Magazine for April, 1922, by Hugh S. Fullerton. 
In the course of this article the writer says: “Once 
he visited Frank Gotch’s training quarters and 
found ‘Farmer’ Burns sitting on the floor, back 
against the wall, reading Shakespeare. Knowing 


114 



Marvels Analyzed, How Accomplished 


he was born a farm boy, reared as a railroad lab¬ 
orer, and trained among wrestlers and fighters, 
and should love Shakespeare, he made some poor 
joke about it. 

“Replying Bums said: ‘I figure it this way. 
The weakest spot in a wrestler’s body is the one 
to attack, and a wrestler must not have weak 
spots. If I have weak leg muscles, I’m an easy 
mark for the toe hold. If my wrist is weak, the 
other fellow will get an arm lock and down me. 
I’ve trained every muscle in my body, from my 
toes to my ears, to make them strong. Why then 
should you figure that I can neglect to train my 
brain? Boy, I’ve won more matches with my 
brain than I have with my arms or legs, so I 
intend to keep my brain in condition.’ 

“ ‘Strangler’ Lewis won over ‘Farmer’ Burns 
with his famous ‘strangle hold,’ which is a neck 
lock that chokes opponents into submission. 

“Burns says: ‘One thing I discovered early, 
that is that a man is like a chain—no stronger than 
his weakest point. When I realized this, I set 
about trying to strengthen all parts of my body. 
Wrestling is a sport which uses every muscle, and 
I needed them all. My neck at that time seemed 
to be the weakest spot, so I worked to build up 
the neck muscles until they became really the 


115 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


strongest part of my entire body. I did this by 
constant twisting the head around, tensing and 
relaxing the neck muscles/ ” 

After he developed the muscles of his neck to 
such an extent, that the strongest of men could 
not choke him, he won over the terrible 
“Strangler” Lewis, at a weight of 168 pounds, the 
“Strangler” weighing over 200 pounds. Again 
and again Lewis secured his famous strangle hold, 
yet he couldn’t choke him down. The “Farmer” 
would break the hold every time, until he wore 
him down and pinned the champion’s shoulders 
to the mat. 

“Farmer” Burns developed his neck so strong 
that twice, for exhibition purposes and a few 
paragraphs of publicity, permitted himself to be 
hanged by the neck. In one of these tests a scaf¬ 
fold was built, and a rope and noose was ad¬ 
justed, and he was dropped through the trap and 
hung suspended for fifteen minutes, suffering little 
injury other than chafed skin by the noose. 

He says it is surprising how little work a man 
needs to make himself strong, or to make any part 
of his body strong, if the exercise is taken regu¬ 
larly and systematically. He also says you can¬ 
not think of a business problem and a stomach 
at the same time. 


116 



Marvels Analyzed, How Accomplished 


Another one of his statements is: "No man is 
bigger than his ambitions.” In order to get the 
greatest benefit from "Farmer” Bums’ health and 
strength achievement, we should analyze it to learn 
just how or where he could get so much power. 
First, he had the strongest kind of desire for 
honor and physical strength. 

Second, when Lewis choked him down and 
pinned his shoulders to the mat, he did not go 
home thinking or saying to himself: "Well, he 
is a bigger man than I am, stronger, and knows 
more about the game than I do. It is useless for 
me to try to defeat that guy.” 

It is true, at the present, he was defeated in 
action, but he was not defeated in mind and 
thought, because he went home with an object 
in his mind, that some time soon he would defeat 
Lewis, and this object was an imaginary picture 
of himself with an unchokable neck. He set about 
to develop such a strong neck that Lewis could 
not choke him. This setting about was the 
imagining, thinking, plotting, planning; and the 
plotting and planning was that he could exercise 
the muscles of his neck and develop strength. 

Third, the constant or continually systematic 
part was, he practiced this exercise several hours 
daily. This shows he had the developing, upbuild- 


117 



It’s Too Bad We Didn't Know It Before 


ing strength thoughts in his mind, at least sev¬ 
eral hours daily, and it is very evident he had this 
thought in his mind the greater part of the time, 
when not in actual practice, as anyone that sets 
their goal, with an enthusiastic desire, keeps the 
object picture ever before them in imagination. 

He felt and acted that way because, in the 
meantime, with all opponents he met, he invited 
the neck lock strangle hold, thus developing 
strength required of an unchokable neck. All the 
results of thinking thoughts of his mind. 

The final analysis is, in reality, it was not the 
exercise, which he speaks of, that strengthened 
his neck, it was his continued thinking, conscious¬ 
ness with a solid, unshakable faith in the belief 
that the exercise would do it. We know the 
exercise or jumping treatment practiced constantly 
will and does reduce or add weight or strength. 

Suppose “Farmer" Burns' thoughts and faith 
had been just the opposite. Suppose his thoughts 
were that it was too tiresome, too painful, and it 
was causing him to lose strength and weight in 
the muscles of his neck, and it would finally ruin 
his neck, the results would have been just the oppo¬ 
site. 

No doubt the systematic exercise was a great 


118 



Marvels Analyzed, How Accomplished 


aid in keeping the picture of his goal vividly and 
vigorously impressed on his mind. 

So I say to all, draw your picture, set your goal, 
either to gain strength and weight, or to lose it, 
use the exercise treatment if it will aid in keep¬ 
ing your picture ever before you. The drawing 
of your picture, setting your goal, keeping ever 
after it, that is what gets the results. 

Those who are wrestling with paralysis, chronic 
rheumatism, etc., and have their shoulders or back 
pinned to the mat (bed or wheel-chair), DRAW 
YOUR PICTURE, SET YOUR GOAL, 
RIGHT NOW! Imagine, think, see and feel 
yourself moving, if it is only JUST A LITTLE, 
that limb, foot or toe, which you thought would 
not move. MOVE IT JUST A LITTLE ANY¬ 
HOW. This afternoon you can move it a little 
more, tonight a little more, tomorrow still more, 
in a few days you can stand alone, maybe tomor¬ 
row, maybe this afternoon; it depends all on how 
strong or how much you think, as I told you. 
Your mind, conscious thinking thoughts can do 
it. It will do it, if not right now, keep after it. 
It will, this afternoon, evening or tomorrow. 

Let me remind you of just such a case. Per¬ 
haps you know the man, or at least you have read 
about him, or maybe you have traveled over some 


119 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


of the smooth highways and boulevards he has 
built. His name is Samuel C. Lancaster, one of 
the country’s leading engineers. He built the 
Columbia River Highway, which extends a dis¬ 
tance of 338 miles through the Cascades. 

As reported, in part, by M. Norris Davis in 
The American Magazine for August, 1923, years 
ago he lay in bed a helpless cripple. Mr. Lancas¬ 
ter says: “I lay in bed at my home in Jackson, 
Miss., for eighteen months, practically paralyzed. 
I could move my head a little, but that was all. 
My limbs, fingers and toes began to draw out of 
shape from inactivity. Gradually the tendons 
throughout my body began to harden. 

“The doctors were positive my trouble was in¬ 
curable, and all but two people who knew the cir¬ 
cumstances agreed with them. My mother and 
the girl I afterward married were the two who 
never lost hope, and they never failed to try to 
cheer me when the future looked blackest. 

“My mother had read me the story of the ossi¬ 
fied man, whose disease had begun something like 
mine and whom they used to exhibit in side shows 
and dime museums. 

“My brain was still active, and I realized that 
unless I worked it overtime in solving my problem 


120 



Marvels Analyzed, How Accomplished 


I would in all probability share the fate of this 
man.” 

Time after time he persuaded members of the 
family to lift him up between them, but always 
he crumpled up like an empty potato sack when 
they loosened their hold. 

Discarding that method as impractical, he had a 
frame built. When he was strapped in this frame 
he hung suspended in the air. The first time he 
tried it he could endure the strain only three 
minutes. Each succeeding day he increased his 
practice time by three minutes, gaining strength 
with every trial. Presently he learned he could 
push his toes to the floor, later with enough force 
to move the frame an inch or two backwards on its 
ball-bearing casters. Soon, crablike, he moved 
about the house. One day the invalid told his 
sister that he was going to make another attempt 
to stand alone. She tried to dissuade him, fearing 
he would get hurt and be worse than before. 

But he was sure he could stand alone, if he per¬ 
sisted. By the use of every ounce of his newly 
acquired strength he managed to raise his armpits 
an inch above the supporting frame. He did 
stand alone, but only for a moment. Then he lost 


121 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


his balance and fell, slipping through the straps 
that had been loosened for the trial. 

In falling he bent his toes back to normal posi¬ 
tion. Now he knew that every stiffened tendon 
would have to be worked loose, by pulling and 
massaging. 

Now, invalids, analyze and carefully consider 
this article. If you have this issue of the maga¬ 
zine around the house get it, re-read this article. 

We often find real good articles in magazines 
and newspapers, as well as in some very high- 
priced textbooks, etc. The trouble with most peo¬ 
ple is they do not give such article due considera¬ 
tion, thereby fail to get the real benefit there is 
in them. 

You will notice in this article that this man 
refused to agree, in his mind, with the hopeless 
doctors’ convictions. He thought the try, try 
again idea, realizing the fact that a man may be 
down, but not always out. And thinking and 
believing he would get well someway, somehow 
or other. He had this picture in his mind con¬ 
stantly before him, day after day, and with such 
mental conditions, results always follow. 

I quote and call your attention to these articles, 
and facts, that you may see, and understand, the 
best way to get well. Stop depending so much on 


122 



Marvels Analyzed, How Accomplished 


others to cure you. Put on your thinking cap, 
reason things out, and get after it yourself, even 
if you are flat on your back. If you can think and 
reason you have indeed a very good chance. 

Regardless of what method of treatment you 
are using, imagine, think, see and feel yourself 
getting well; act that way, expect the treatment 
to do what it is supposed to do. SEE IT, FEEL 
IT, AND ACT IT. It will put more strength 
in any method of treatment, double and treble. 
By all means, never let the give-up thought enter 
your mind. Should you find yourself thinking 
such an injurious, killing thought as that, cut it 
off instantly, before it gets anywhere. Think of 
the poor fellow, Louis V. Eyting, who had no 
money, no friends, convicted of murder, and sen¬ 
tenced to life imprisonment for a crime which he 
did not commit, and was condemned to die, by the 
doctors, within two months with tuberculosis. 

Think! How much chance for life? How 
much hope could a man have passing through the 
steel gates of a state prison, with a bloody hand¬ 
kerchief in his locked hands, under such condi¬ 
tions? Answering this question anyone would 
say: “None, his life wasn’t worth two cents.” 

Yet it was worth so much that he is now con¬ 
sidered a very valuable man to society. He has 


123 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


a Fifth Avenue office and a ten-thousand-dollar 
job. He received his pardon January 1, 1923. An 
article about him, together with his photograph, 
appeared in the Success Magazine for May, 1923, 
by Sadie A. Frank, which states that, today, he 
shows no marks of disease and of years of im¬ 
prisonment. 

This is one of the most remarkable comebacks 
I know of. This man had a desperate desire to 
live, that he might some way, somehow or other, 
get an opportunity to clear his name of the crime 
murder. This strong, continued, desperate desire 
outweighed by far the death-tubercular thought, 
and as the body is developed, controlled, and gov¬ 
erned entirely by the stronger, continued thought, 
which cuts off or stops any further tubercular 
accumulation, and the accumulation is where the 
germ multiplies, lives and feeds, or is sustained. 

As consciousness is directed opposite and away 
from tuberculosis, the body must and does auto¬ 
matically follow, and as it follows, it develops 
accordingly, the accumulations begin to wane; as 
the waning continues it finally eliminates and de¬ 
stroys every vistage of tuberculosis. 

In the course of this article just referred to, 
regarding disease, Mr. Eyting says: “Handicaps 


124 



Marvels Analyzed, Haw Accomplished 


are always assets, once you cease to be afraid of 
them.” 

I have worked hard, that you may see your 
way clear to get well, and as you see your way 
clear you are then no longer afraid. 

Mr. Blank, the man who has cured thousands, 
afflicted in various ways and with various diseases, 
and wrote the book previously mentioned, says: 
“When fear is eliminated, the danger is past.” 

Our noted and most successful lawyers say: 
“FACTS WILL WIN; know the facts and fear 
nothing.” 

Much better should they say: “Know the 
facts, then the fear is gone.” 

Should you inquire of our most successful busi¬ 
ness men they will say: “Decide on the right 
fundamental policies (FACTS), the rules of the 
game, and make dead sure you are right. Never 
let anything cause you to discard those policies; 
keep everlastingly at it; do not lose momentum by 
starting and stopping and starting again.” 

Nathan Sheppard, a noted lecturer and author, 
said in the course of a lecture before a student 
class: “If you find your voice too high, put it 
down, just like you would put your elbow down at 
the table when it has a tendency to go up; and if 
it goes up again, put it down. Keep putting it 


125 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


down until it stays down, will it down and put it 
down and keep it down until it stays down with¬ 
out a conscious exercise of the will. No drunk¬ 
ard was ever reformed by a diagnosis of delirium 
tremens. If there is no will of his own to appeal 
to, no appeal will be of any avail. You may make 
him weep, but you cannot make him act.” 

So I say the way for you sick, with chronic ail¬ 
ments, to get well, is to get well, and the way to 
get well is to do it; the way to do it is to change 
your thoughts; when you change your thoughts 
you change your mind; when you change your 
mind you change your consciousness; when your 
consciousness is changed, you are a changed 
human being. 

When you find yourself back in the old thoughts 
change them again; keep changing them; will 
them changed; change them until they stay 
changed. Keep them changed anyhow regardless. 

Your body will follow or change accordingly. 
It must, it will. It will have to do it, it can’t help 
it. You are the governor of your government 
and yourself is your government. 

Do not waste your time trying not to have your 
ills or trouble, place your entire attention on being 
well. You can strike a ball much better by trying 
to hit it than you can by trying not to miss it. Use 


126 



Marvels Analyzed, How Accomplished 


rules of the game. Go after the being well part, 
the not having the ills will automatically take 
care of itself. 

Ladies yearn to be beautiful, and it is a worth¬ 
while desire. Many go to no end of pain and 
expense to have a little more beauty added to 
their face and figure. 

They search for the beauty secret every way 
and everywhere, yet they have the very best 
beautifiers, so-called secret, often placed right be¬ 
fore their eyes in the newspapers, magazines, 
books, etc., and for one reason they fail to see it. 
This reason is, they did not know it was the best 
beauty and rejuvenation secret. 

Many fail to profit from good ideas in the public 
press, because they question the truth of them. 
We should remember the very life of a publica¬ 
tion depends on the reliability of its news. 

A good idea, a scientific fact, or true saying is 
good, scientific, true and a fact regardless of 
who says or writes it or where we find it. 

Our good editors know that they can save their 
readers much suffering, trouble, time and expense 
by presenting in a few columns or pages valuable 
information which required others many years, 
perhaps a lifetime to learn, if the reader will 

127 



It’s Too Bad We Didn't Know It Before 


take the time to carefully consider the articles 
directed to their particular need. 

After reading this book over again a time or 
two, you will be much better equipped to con¬ 
ceive, know and judge the better of the seem¬ 
ingly best. 

We know from experience that we often have 
surprisingly much good, right in our own hands, 
and after all, there was no need of searching all 
over everywhere for it. I am going to tell you 
the best beauty secret there is, ever was, or ever 
can be, regardless of how much you search, ex¬ 
periment, look or listen. 

It was published (and a full page) in the Pub¬ 
lic Ledger, Philadelphia, Pa., Sunday morning, 
January 27, 1924. 

I wonder how many read this article and knew 
it was the best. If twenty-five per cent, of the 
beauty seekers knew the value of this article, they 
would force such everlasting long smile on the 
editor’s face it would meet around the back of his 
head. If time, space and permission would per¬ 
mit, I certainly would reprint it here. Anyway I 
will give the fundamentals, then you can get the 
necessary details by further study of this book. 

The title of the article is: “How to Retain 
Beauty for a Lifetime.” 


128 



Marvels Analyzed, How Accomplished 


It quotes and is based on the knowledge and 
long experience of Dr. Alois Maier, who is famil¬ 
iar with the marvelous beauty formulas, past and 
present. 

‘‘Rejuvenation must come from the mind and 
heart, not from the beauty parlor,” says this chem¬ 
ist, philosopher, adviser to fair ladies of European 
royalty. 

Farther on he says, “For a quarter of a century 
I have been making compounds to rejuvenate the 
skin and muscles, to eliminate wrinkles, sagging 
and blotches, and the more I prepare beautifiers, 
the more do I see that the greater part of rejuvena¬ 
tion must come from within.” 

Your habit of thought? 

The mind is like wax to receive, and like steel 
to retain the channels in which you allow your 
thoughts to form and run. Further on he says, 
“All the cream and massage in the world will not 
uplift the sag that comes of fear of old age, loss of 
illusion. Let the women with sagging face and 
eyes that have lost their lustre turn to the neglected 
inspiration and aspiration of youth, to music, art, 
and let them uplift her mind and so her face. Let 
her be elevated to a higher plane, become spiritu¬ 
alized and note the change.” 

“When a woman comes asking me to peel her 


129 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


face in order to rejuvenate the skin and promote 
firmness of the flesh, I begin to tell her to peel 
her brain; to trace wrinkles and sallow and sag 
back to their mind causes, to unload the excess 
baggage of wrong thinking. I tell her to reju¬ 
venate first her brain tissues and fill her gray 
matter with new and invigorating thoughts about 
herself.” 

''What mental picture have you held so long to 
make you old and wrinkled ?” he asks. 

Learn to forget that you are growing older. 
Again it says “When a woman strives for facial 
beauty the wrong place for her to begin is on 
her face. For the woman who finds herself has 
found the way to beauty, because she has found 
happiness and contentedness.” 

Don’t have the idea that you can awake to¬ 
morrow morning and think right, good and con¬ 
structive thoughts until breakfast and then get illy 
and act contrary the remaining part of the day, 
then expect results. Think and see yourself well 
and happy, get kiddish, foolish, punch somebody 
in the ribs, see you both laugh; get a joke book, 
talking machine record, laugh, anything in the 
world to keep good feeling thoughts going. 

If you are one of those who have some chronic 
dis-ease and you think you are making your home 


130 




Marvels Analyzed, How Accomplished 


sad because all are sorry for you, get kiddish as 
I told you. You know you have then wiped out 
every bit of the bad feeling and despondency in 
your home. You will make it glad, instead of 
sad. All will then be glad for you, instead of 
sorry. They will see you are better, and are 
getting better, then all of your minds are in good 
shape to calmly think and reason, and you can see 
and feel your home as a Heaven instead of a 
hell. Your home right then, my dear friend, is 
a Heaven. 

As all of you see little changes and adjustments 
can be made in every way that will make things 
better, and those who go out to work will go out 
with a good, clear mind that feels like doing some¬ 
thing, and they will do something too, believe me. 
If this keeps up the home will soon be a para¬ 
dise, all from a few little seeds of good thoughts 
from the mind. You see, all that works auto¬ 
matically, also. 

At the same time see and feel yourself growing 
back to where you belong. If you have a doctor 
calling, kid him when he comes, then listen to him 
tell you how much improved you are. You need 
not tell him all about this certain book you read, 
if you do not wish, neither stop his medicine nor 
any other remedy which you like. I learned long 


131 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


ago people get well many and all kinds of ways. 
The only objection I see in using two or more 
remedies at the same time, is you have no way of 
determining who is who, in case of healing. Go 
after getting well, staying well and happy, credit 
or no credit. 

I do not care what method of treatment you use. 
All I ask is that you review these facts and mark 
each one down when you are thoroughly satisfied 
of the truth of it, then sum or add them all to¬ 
gether and it will and must leave you easy, if 
correct deductions are made. It works auto¬ 
matically. 

Draw your picture in your mind. See yourself 
just as if there was not anything wrong with you. 
Act that way, as much as you can at first. You 
will see a big improvement in your actions. If 
you keep it up you will get well. 

Do not condemn other remedies; everyone uses 
the best remedy he knows. All remedies or 
methods of healing cure some. Any remedy is 
good that will, in any way, change the mind from 
dis-ease to ease; mind does it all anyway, regard¬ 
less of what the remedy is. 

Be sure you understand when I say: “Mind 
does it all anyway.” You see it would not be 
logical to say drugs have no power, then be forced 


132 



Marvels Analyzed, How Accomplished 


to admit that drugs taken through mistake kill 
people. If there were no power in them, they 
would not be powerful enough to kill. The power 
that is in the drugs is placed there by mind, con¬ 
sciousness and thought of the discoverer, chemist, 
druggist, doctor, or whoever prepares it with a 
solid, conclusive, unshakable faith that it will do 
what he or they prepare it for. Then the power 
gains or loses according to the amount of faith the 
individual has from recommendations. There was 
no power in it before the conscious thoughts of 
mind prepared it. 

A locomotive is very powerful, yet there was no 
power in it before it was prepared, and, further¬ 
more, with all of its power it is powerless unless 
mind, with its thoughts, starts and stops the 
power. 

Did you ever notice how the power of drugs 
or medicines wanes in same proportion that mind 
thought and faith wanes it? In former times, 
when I took so many pills, I finally became so I 
could take a bunch of them before they would 
affect my bowels, and one of my brothers or sisters 
could take only one, and “gee, they would be all in 
a strut.” You can easily see that their faith added 
to the faith of those who prepared it, made it 


133 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


doubly strong, and as I lost faith or became 
used-to-it it became weaker. 

I do not agree with the general idea among 
those who advocate, teach or practice drugless 
methods of healing in saying you should not take 
or use medicines or drugs, or this or that remedy, 
before the ones addressed understand, know and 
have more faith in a better way. Mr. Blank says: 
“Do not take the crutch away from a cripple unless 
you can give him a better one.” I say, do not 
take the crutch away, even if you can and do give 
a better one, he may not be able to use the better 
one at first. He is then in a helpless fix; or, he 
may not be able to use the better one as good as 
he did the old one, then he is not as well off as 
before. The best way is to let him keep his old 
one while he is learning and practicing with the 
new. As he learns to use the new better than 
the old he will discard it himself; or, it may be 
that you can expain how to use the better one in 
such a way that will force him to see, know and 
understand he can use it better in the beginning, 
thereby establishing more faith in the better. 

I have tried to explain the best method of heal¬ 
ing that was ever known in such a way you could 
not very well help but understand how to use and 
what it is that does the curing. You should now 


134 



Marvels Analyzed, How Accomplished 


be able to cure yourself without much trouble, by 
reviewing this work, getting the facts well im¬ 
pressed on your mind as much as you can. Then 
in event you find you do not understand suffi¬ 
ciently, and cannot improve yourself as fast as 
you should, use any remedy or method of treat¬ 
ment at all you wish, or have the most faith in, 
at the same time draw your picture (while using 
the other remedy), it will double and triple the 
strength of any remedy you have most faith in. 
As previously described, imagine, see, sense and 
feel yourself well; act that way, watch yours'elf 
improve (never mind the contradictory part). It 
is never wrong to correct yourself when you are 
doing wrong, and you are doing wrong when you 
do not draw your picture. 

In event you believe that there is some other 
power, other than yourself, which has control and 
prevents you from getting well, and you pray to 
God to heal you; draw your picture, open up your¬ 
self, receive, sense and feel his blessings. He will 
certainly cure you, if you will receive it, and that 
is the answer to your prayers. Remember the 
lady who jumped out of bed one morning well. 

I like to call your attention to the incident of 
the lady jumping out of the bed well and many 
others. It appears to me that it is very easily 


135 



It’s Too Bad We Didn’t Know It Before 


understood just how that was accomplished. She 
said: “I awoke seeming to feel, and hear some¬ 
thing saying have faith and all will be well.” She 
knew immediately she was well. You see, that 
seeming to feel and hear something saying have 
faith and all will be well was her thought. She, 
realizing and becoming conscious of herself as 
being well, she changed her conscience with her 
thought, and we can see that she herself was re¬ 
ceiving and using the power of God. It is indeed 
a grand and glorious feeling to know this truth 
which does, as Jesus said would, make us free. 

You can just feel it working in your bones. 
It certainly does loosen and supple you up. It 
puts new life and vigor in you all over. 

Those who fail to get well after daily praying, 
month after month, and even years of praying, 
fail because they do not draw their picture. God 
gave you a mind to think, reason, receive and feel 
with, and if you do not use it to receive a cure for 
yourself, it is not His fault, and it is not His 
fault that you, and others, use it the wrong way 
and make themselves sick. 

Shakespeare said: “There is nothing good or 
bad but thinking makes it so.” 

Remember the well-known statement: “As a 
man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” That is as 


136 



Marvels Analyzed, How Accomplished 


a man thinks in his mind is the way he is, feels 
and acts. He is, does, and must feel and act just 
according to the thoughts he thinks. 

You see, it works automatically. 

The scriptural injunction: “Work out your 
own salvation.” That is, think and reason de¬ 
ductively, until you arrive at a logical conclusion, 
and if you know that you are right (letting the 
chips fall where they may) your conclusion will 
be unshakable, and you will be successful. 

Mr. Blank says: “Your salvation will not be 
worked out until you do it yourself. ,, 

You see health, happiness and success is within 
you. 

Bad or wrong thoughts break, tear down and 
destroy. 

Good or right thoughts supply, build and con¬ 
struct. 

You, your mind, the conscious part of you is 
the destructor or builder, according to the way 
you think (Mr. Blank). 

It's a FACT and just as true as mathematics 
itself. 

I say again, draw your picture as you wish it 
to be, and keep it ever before you, then I have 
no doubt you can join me in saying: “It’s too 
bad we didn't know this before." 


137 



It's Too Bad We Didn't Know It Before 


I stated in an early chapter that I would touch 
on the naming question. I have not as yet decided 
on a name which I think will give it full justice. 
You see, it is something different from any you 
have ever heard or read of, so what shall we call 
it that will distinguish it from others ? 

If I can be of further help, or if you wish more 
information on this subject, it will be gladly given. 
Address the author, enclosing stamp. 

Yours for health and success, 

HENRY W. NEWBY. 


138 








CONTENTS 


Page 

Introduction .? 

The dreadful Perlexing Question . 13 

Many Dark Expensive Trails.«. 23 

Are Cures Still Mysteries? . 52 

Strong Enthusiasm Finds a Way. & 

Look What You Haven't Thought Of . 81 

Marvels Analyzed, How Accomplished, Conclusion.. 114 





















































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